Making an NFL roster the latest hurdle for Maurice Smith

Maurice Smith certainly had to jump his share of hurdles over the past year.

Trying to realize his dream of playing in the NFL hasn’t been any different. Smith wasn’t invited to the recent NFL Combine, and needed a good showing in Wednesday’s Pro Day at Georgia to help open the eyes of scouts.

But after what he went through last year to finally get Alabama to agree to letting him transfer to Georgia for his senior year, Smith figures getting an NFL team to give him a chance will be a piece of cake.

At least that's what he hopes.

“Looking back at it, not having a place to stay, not having really a place to work out, having to do it all on my own, I still think I’m blessed,” Smith said. “Whether I get a shot at getting drafted or free agency, I’m going to still work hard and definitely make a team.”

Smith certainly took advantage of the opportunity he received with the Bulldogs.

The former Alabama player started all 13 games for Georgia at Nickel, helping to anchor a secondary that got better as the season went along.

“It was a blessing. I don’t even look at the playing time. I look at the fact that I was able to make some type of impact on the team and hopefully that will help them later on coming down the road to understand the expectations and things like that,” Smith said. “Overall, it was a great move.”

Other hoops – not related to making an NFL team – continue to be jumped through.

One of the stipulations the SEC gave Smith for agreeing to being admitted was that he earned his Master’s degree in two years, less Georgia would be precluded from bringing in future graduate transfers.

Smith revealed that he’s been allowed to stay on track by taking a pair of online classes – gerontology and biostatistics. Yes, the classes are as difficult as they sound.

“It was a bit of razzle dazzle,” Smith said of combining the classes with his ongoing NFL workouts.

But so far, so good, and according to head coach Kirby Smart, the SEC office in Birmingham is willing to work with Smith and give him the time he needs, providing he makes an NFL team.

“It’s a case by case basis,” Smart said. “But the Commissioner (Greg Sankey) is aware of it, he knows that’s the kid’s dream. It’s what he wants to do, so he’ll take that into consideration.”

Based on the comments Smith said he received after his Pro Day session was done, he definitely helped his cause.

One of the biggest things he said scouts wanted to see was his speed, and Smith said he was able to turn in 40 times in the 4.4 range, as opposed to the 4.5 that many scouts were predicting before the day began.

“I did better than what they expected,” Smith said. “They thought I would go around 4.5 so I think I did better than that.”

His versatility and the fact he’s played safety as well as corner along with Nickel could be another favor in his factor when it comes to landing a spot on an NFL roster.

“With me playing so many positions in the secondary, they feel that I can be that dude, who uses that role to make a roster, basically,” said Smith, who confirmed the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to bring him in for a private workout.

“All these guys (scouts) ask, can he play multiple positions,” Smart said. “He got to prove all those things. He played on special teams. Ultimately, I don’t know how he’ll get drafted. That will depend on his speed, that will depend on a lot of things.”