Kion Smith positioned himself at left tackle of the Miami Dolphins offensive line on October 29th, 2023 against the New England Patriots for a snap that would mark both a beginning and symbolic end to his football journey. It was the final step of a dream to play in the National Football League (NFL) but also the beginning of more work to come to play at the highest level of the game.
 
Flash forward to the present day and Smith's Dolphins team prepares for an AFC playoff battle at Arrowhead Stadium in chilly Kansas City against the Chiefs, a game that will put Smith and former Broncos cornerback Joshua Williams on opposite sidelines of an NFL field for the second time this season following their meeting in Frankfurt, Germany last November.
 
The Dolphins and Chiefs game kicks off today (Saturday, January 13th) at 8:00 PM Eastern Time and can be watched by subscribing to the Peacock streaming service that will carry the exclusive broadcast.
 
"The amazing thing about both of those guys is that they both went to the NFL even though they had another year to come back and play for us," said Broncos Head Football Coach Richard Hayes. "That's unheard of at this level. I'm proud of both of those guys and will continue to support them while they are in the league."
 
"Stack days," Smith said in his recent conversation on Fayetteville State's campus with the Broncos Sports Network. "You aren't going to be perfect, and they aren't looking for perfection, they just want you to get better. It was my mindset every day to go in and get better and continue to look ahead. I wasn't complacent and once I got to the NFL the work didn't stop. It got harder in fact, and I've stuck with it."
 
Along the long road towards this moment were stops at Lumberton High School in his hometown of Lumberton, North Carolina, Fayetteville State University, and practice squads with both the Atlanta Falcons and Dolphins before making the 53-man roster with Miami in 2023.
 
No stranger to hard work and adversity from his college days, Smith found a way to navigate a lost season during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued to train for the chance to go pro. It materialized with a free-agent contract signing with the Falcons in 2021 and a two-year stretch at the practice squad level before his shot at the main roster in Miami.
 
"I had a lot of guys in my corner that stayed on me with my workouts," Smith recalled. "I tried to keep a consistent mindset that an opportunity would open up to play, maybe not right away but at some point. It was tough but I just kept faith. I was here at FSU grinding for so long, so I just kept going with it."
 
During the busy week-to-week of the NFL slate the former Fayetteville State big man returned to campus recently during the Dolphins week 10 bye, a place he called home from 2016 through 2019 while anchoring the Broncos during three straight CIAA championship appearances.
 

"Kion started this thing off for us," said Broncos Head Coach Richard Hayes. "He was one of the first major signings we had in 2016. He committed to the program and became a great player."
 
Looking back, Smith credits the coaching during his freshman season as the key to his long-term success.
 
"When I first got here it was Coach Hayes' first year, so he came in with a chip on his shoulder being a first-year guy," Smith said. I feel like he really got us ready because he had something to prove. He came in and we were all working hard day in and day out and I think that first year really motivated me to be who I really wanted to be coming out of college."
 
During the 2023 summer, the Fayetteville State coaching staff worked directly with Smith to create a youth Big Man Camp, targeting high school football players looking to develop skills on the offensive and defensive lines.
 
"All of the coaches at FSU were a big help in starting the camp. They were around to help run drills and I greatly appreciate them." Smith said. "I want to see players get better from where I'm from and see the football talent around the area improve as a whole."
 
Smith's work with players in his local area is an extension of the efforts he and his Dolphins teammates have engaged in off the field in the South Florida community. As a rookie, he teamed up with Neighbors4Neighbors to provide families with holiday gifts and also volunteered at the Miami Dolphins Food Relief Program distributing Thanksgiving meals to the community.
 
"It's something that I didn't experience as a kid, shopping with an NFL player and stuff like that. It's cool to see the smiles on kids' faces and help them out," Smith said.
 
It wasn't a perfectly paved road for Smith on his way towards an NFL dream, but his toughness on and off the field serves as a great example for young football players and future Broncos to follow.
 
"Just buy in wherever you are. Whether it's with coaches, on the field, off the field, or in the weight room. You never really know where you are going to be but if you put the work in you are going to be better than you were the day before."