Alumni Spotlight: Billy Smith Reflects on Standout Heavyweight Career
Apr 07 | Wrestling
Four-time NCAA qualifier now teaches history in North Jersey
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – One of the biggest dual wins in Rutgers wrestling history took place during the 2015-16 season when the Scarlet Knights hosted No. 4 Nebraska at the RAC. The Cornhuskers entered the match on a 16-dual winning streak, while RU was in search of a signature victory within the Big Ten Conference after it joined the league a year prior.
With the dual favoring Nebraska, 16-13, RU needed its heavyweight to deliver in the final bout of the night. Billy Smith rose to the occasion, as the No. 6-ranked 285-pounder defeated No. 13 Collin Jensen, 8-2. The point differential in Smith's match gave Rutgers enough to score the criteria point over the Cornhuskers for the 17-16 final.
It was one of the top RAC moments since the program began wrestling full-time at the facility that season, and it is a moment that sticks out to Smith when he looked back at his collegiate career.
“I just remember everyone was hugging me and running on the mat. It was really the first sign that we could have moments like that and wrestle with those types of programs,” Smith said. “For a long time, Goodale always said we could do it. But until you actually follow through, it’s just words. So it was that moment that proved we could beat a team like that and that the program is in the right place.”
The win over Jensen was the first of two dual clinchers against a top-10 foe for Smith that season, as he closed out a win over No. 7 Lehigh on Feb. 21 in Piscataway. Smith was also instrumental in RU’s victory over the Mountain Hawks as a freshman in 2013, as his decision in the night’s final match propelled the Scarlet Knights to their first win in the all-time series with Lehigh since 1950.
Closing out duals was a spot in which Smith thrived, and he enjoyed having all eyes on him when he took the circle knowing the outcome of his performance could mean the difference between a team win and a loss.
“That Lehigh match was another one that really stands out to me,” Smith said. “In that first season alone I think three or four duals came down to me right in a row, so it was pretty cool to come through for the team in that spot.”
Smith, a High Point, New Jersey, native, closed out his collegiate career as one of the top heavyweights to wear a Scarlet Singlet. Smith is one of just six four-time NCAA qualifiers in program history and is tied for 10th all-time in wins with 105.
After his time “On the Banks” came to a close, Smith graduated and took on a different challenge – teaching. A graduate of Summit High School in North Jersey, Smith returned to the school district to teach special education and history.
“I was actually offered a few teaching jobs in South Jersey thanks to Goodale, but I ended up coming back home to High Point after a last-minute retire happened,” Smith said. “I got the job offer that summer, lived with my parents for a year and then bought a house about a mile down the road. It’s awesome to get an opportunity to return home and teach in my community.
“I’m only a few years removed from some of the kids I teach, so it’s awesome and weird at the same time. You have to remind some of the kids that you’re a teacher now. But it’s a really great community and I get to pay it forward.”
Along with his teaching duties, Smith is a football, track and field and wrestling coach within the district, meaning his days are long ones from September through June. But the commitment does not bother Smith, who enjoys helping the community that looked out for him when he was growing up.
Smith enjoys that atmosphere, which is part of the reason he chose Rutgers out of high school. He still remembers the cookouts in the parking lot of the College Ave. Gym and how everyone within the program had each other’s back.
“The people at Rutgers, specifically the coaches, are loyal and family oriented,” Smith said. “It’s important and the reason why I went there. You’re not viewed as just a wrestler there. To them, you’re really a part of the family. It’s just a good family atmosphere.”
When he’s not busy in the classroom or coaching his students, Smith makes every effort to get back to the RAC for a home dual. With a state-of-the-art practice facility at the RWJBarnabas Health and Performance Center and a fan base that ranks top-five annually in home attendance, he believes moments like the one he provided against Nebraska will continue to occur.
“Walking around, you realize just how special their new practice facility is,” Smith said. “The program should be proud and excited because things like that can help it get over the edge when it comes to recruiting and being among the best. We have world team members, All-Americans and national champions now. If you’re a local kid looking to wrestle at the highest level, there is nothing Rutgers can’t offer.”
Rutgers Wrestling is presented by Eat Clean Bro, an Official Partner of Rutgers Athletics.
