Future University of South Florida receiver JeyQuan Smith sprints with style at Cajon

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. — How do you catch JeyQuan Smith, one of the top sprinters in the state?

With snapshots. 

They're everywhere of the Cajon-San Bernardino senior. 

Winning. Dominating. Dazzling.

There is Smith, the football and track and field star, dashing across the finish line to win the 100 meters at the Citrus Belt League track and field finals. Afterward, he responds to an onlooker by flexing his sinewy muscles as cameras click. .

And there he is, a day later in his prom video, dressed to the nines in a white tux and pink shoes. Red braids cascade from his head as he climbs into an orange Corvette to pick up his date. 

She’s the one with the matching crimson braids.

“Got to be ready for prom,” Smith said with a laugh, moments after winning the 200 meters at the CBL finals in a season-best 21.08 seconds. He also captured the 100 (10.48), took a second in the long jump and anchored the winning 400-meter relay team (41.64). 

'EASY TO COACH'

His 200 and team's relay marks are each tied for fifth best in the state this season, according to athletic.net. His 100 time is tied for eighth. 

“I’m kind of proud of my performance,” Smith said. “I’m coming back from a hamstring injury so this is my first meet where I can go full-on. I’m a little tired but still satisfied.”

Track and field is only half the story for the Cajon kid they call “Florida” – or “Flaaaawda” as one friend puts it. He is originally from The Sunshine State and will head back there in June to attend the University of South Florida in Tampa. He’ll play football and run track, just as his father Lawrence did in high school.

“He’s fast,” Cajon football coach Nick Rogers said. “Really fast. He can change direction and get up to speed as quick as anyone. And he’s a good kid. I never had to worry about him. He’s easy to coach.”

Smith led Cajon to a CBL title and a 9-2 overall record in football with scintillating performances. The 5-foot-10, 175-pound slot receiver caught 26 passes for 459 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 17.7 yards per catch. He also rushed for 544 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 9.8 yards per carry.

“I like to win, and I like the competitiveness,” Smith said.

HEADING HOME

But when Smith started playing football, they weren’t calling him 'Florida.' The monikers were less flattering. .

“I had trouble catching the ball at first,” he said. “There is a lot of trash talking and it was overwhelming at first. People would say I had brick hands. I do have small hands. But I worked hard and improved and now I hardly ever drop a pass.”

Smith excellence has earned him a scholarship to South Florida, which is only about 45 minutes from where he grew up in Bradenton.

“I was surprised when he picked South Florida but it makes sense with the culture and where he’s from,” said Smith’s mother, Shaquanda. “He’ll have a lot of support out there. I won’t have to worry about him.”

Shaquanda described her son as a young man who likes to sing and harmonize on his own, is a bit of a loner and tends to be a perfectionist.

PERPETUAL SPEED

“He took things very literally when he was little,” Shaquanda said. “At choir in church when he was about 7, he was frowning, and they told him to fix his face. So he took his two hands and tried to push his face up into a smile.”

These days Smith has a perpetual grin as he segues effortlessly from track-and-field victories to prom to graduation … and eventually to the University of South Florida.

Is he nervous about the move?

“It’s not anything I haven’t done before,” Smith said. “I’m a little worried about leaving my friends, but I can always make new ones.”

John Murphy is the sports editor for the Century Group Media of Southern California. Twitter: @PrepDawg2.  

All photos below by John Murphy