Tomorrow afternoon, when Duke's four senior captains take the field for their final home game, someone in Wallace Wade Stadium will inevitably ask, "Who's Number 56?"
Number 56 is a fifth-year senior who has started in 41 straight games. He is one of Duke's top players and a legitimate All-ACC candidate. But very few know the secret identity of Number 56.
That's because he spends all his time in the anonymous trenches of the offensive line, perhaps the most thankless job in the world.
"You never get any glory, you don't get any recognition and it's really easy to look really bad playing offensive line," the anonymous man says. "You can play 80 plays in a game and if you do a great job on 78 of them, but the other two plays you give up sacks, you had a horrible game."
Number 56 is Austin Smithwick, perhaps the best Blue Devil you've never heard of. But rest assured, defensive linemen know who he is. They may not know his name either, but they recognize him as the backbone of Duke's offensive line.
Smithwick has been building a name, or at least a number, for himself since his freshman year when he took a pummeling he'll not soon forget. But it was a pummeling that made him stronger.
It was the season opener in 1996, a nationally televised affair in Tallahassee against No. 3 Florida State. Then a redshirt freshman, Smithwick had hoped to start for the Blue Devils, but coach Fred Goldsmith apparently thought otherwise.
Smithwick would get his turn, though, and the game would soon become a memory the right tackle would never forget. His name was finally called and he rushed onto the field, his dreams being realized.
The tiny freshman emerged from the huddle eager to prove his worth, but when he got down into his stance, he looked across the line of scrimmage.
It was a sight that still lives with him today.
"I remember going into that game weighing 245 pounds and looking across the line at some dude that's bigger than me, faster than me and stronger than me," Smithwick recalled. "I'm sitting there wondering, 'Now how did I get myself into this mess?'
"The last time I had played live football was against D.H. Conley High School in my senior year. Then to jump and play Florida State, it was a heckuva jump."
Smithwick and the Blue Devils took a beating that day, but it was just one of many during an ill-fated 0-11 season. In his first four years at the University, he suffered humiliating defeat after humiliating defeat.
That was why this year meant so much too him.
This, his final season, was going to be the year Duke finally turned it all around. This was the year he and his teammates would play in a bowl game.
But tomorrow afternoon when Smithwick takes the field for what will be his final home game, he will not be playing for a bowl game like he had envisioned. Instead, Smithwick will play the type of game that has been the staple of his career. The type of game where Duke is playing in an empty stadium for nothing more than pride.
"Everybody wants to go out a winner, but unfortunately that hasn't happened, so you have to realign your goals and try to find positives," Smithwick said. "Not everything always works out the way you plan it."
And despite all the hard work that has led to nothing but frustration in the standings, you will never hear Austin Smithwick complain. He is simply grateful for the opportunity to have played the sport he loves at a school he loves.
"It's been a great experience," he said. "I love playing football for Duke, I love playing offensive line and I love playing with the guys that I'm playing with. It's a lot of fun."
Smithwick knows that when little boys dream, they don't fantasize about being a linemen on a team that has just eight wins in four years. But he would not change a thing.
He was recruited as a defensive lineman, but after two uninspiring days at nose guard, he was quickly moved to right tackle, a position he played all through high school. Although short on glamour, it's a life Smithwick has come to cherish.
"It's a blast," Smithwick said. "Probably on any team the offensive line is probably the closest group of people and I say that's probably true on our team.... We really are a tight-knit group. It's almost like a bunch of brothers in there just playing together."
Growing up in Washington, N.C., all his life Smithwick dreamed of playing for Duke. Granted, the dream involved his wearing a basketball uniform, but football was close enough when it came time to decide where he wanted to attend school.
"[When I was little] I was a huge Duke basketball fan," Smithwick said. "I always wanted to come play basketball for Duke. Well, I wasn't quite good enough for basketball... but it worked out that I was able to come play football here. During recruiting time, everywhere looked great. But when it got right down to it, this is where my heart was from the beginning and this is where I ended up."
Tomorrow afternoon, that decision and the last five years at the University will culminate when Number 56 takes the field of Wallace Wade Stadium one last time.
And although it would seem that the football career of the anonymous lineman has been frustrating, don't feel too bad for him. He's had the time of his life, even if know one knows it.
"I've had more fun here than I probably should have," he said. "I've had a real positive time here at Duke. A lot of work, but a lot of good times. I've had a great experience."
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