Looking back: Geno Smith

You can't overstate what Geno Smith meant to the West Virginia football program, someone recently told me during a telephone conversation. And it's hard to ignore.

Bridging the gap between two-different coaching regimes and thriving in both, Smith etched his name into the record books in almost every major statistical passing category at West Virginia during his four-year career, three as the starter.

By the time the sun had set on his career at West Virginia Smith had thrown for 988 completions, 11,662 yards and 98 touchdowns, all school records, along with amassing 25 wins.

It's even hard to imagine the Miramar product not serving in the role as field general for the Mountaineers, but had circumstances not altered the landscape of his recruitment it could have easily resulted in the now almost unimaginable outcome.

It was the spring and summer of Tajh Boyd in Morgantown after securing a commitment from the Hampton (Va.) quarterback in March of 2008.

One of the top quarterbacks in the region, Boyd was originally intended to serve as the lone option at the position for the Mountaineers until the two parties decided to part ways in mid-October. That decision left the West Virginia coaching staff without a quarterback and time running out on the clock.

Insert, Smith and the craftiness of former West Virginia assistant coach Doc Holliday.

Smith already was familiar with West Virginia, as they were with him, after he performed in one of Rich Rodriguez's individual summer camps as a junior.

Traveling north with his head coach and former West Virginia linebacker Damon Cogdell, along with 40 of his teammates, Smith got his first taste of Morgantown by taking home MVP honors and impressing those in attendance with his natural abilities as a passer and overall command at the position.

"I think I came out here and showed my talents a lot. Coach Cogdell brags about this place every day of the week. He is proud of being a West Virginia Mountaineer. I like things that are going on in this program," said the 6-foot-2, 170-pound quarterback at the time.

While readily available during the recruiting process, one thing was off limits for Smith - phone calls on Sunday. It was what he considered family time, going to his grandfather's for dinner and spending time with his immediate family.

Eugene Smith, as he was more commonly known then, went on to add offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Auburn, Boston College, Oregon and South Carolina after throwing for more than 2,500 yards and 25 touchdowns in 2007. A Rivals.com four-star recruit, Smith was rated as the nation's No. 3 dual-threat quarterback and also was named to the Elite 11.

Holliday had remained in contact with Smith throughout his recruitment, and that paid off, although it would be a battle to secure the services of what some would call the Mountaineer assistant's "ace in the hole."

Smith would eventually return to Morgantown on an official visit for the Cincinnati game in early November of his senior season which resulted in a gut-wrenching overtime loss for the Mountaineers.

But the results did little to dampen his overall excitement about the program, as Smith would make a quick turnaround selecting the Mountaineers over a state-wide radio broadcast.

"Being in Morgantown showed me a lot. I'll be verbally committing. I feel good about the situation. The team is just phenomenal," Smith told radio host Tony Caridi after being home in South Florida for about two days.

Although he initially considered additional visits, Smith stood firm with his pledge to the Mountaineers and the Florida Class 6A offensive player of the year signed with West Virginia in February 2009. He would finish his senior season throwing for almost 3,000 yards with only a handful of interceptions to his credit.

A prospective early enrollee, Smith didn't arrive in Morgantown until June and would go on to put together an historic career at West Virginia. He would be selected in the second round by the New York Jets with the 39th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.

And how fitting that Smith and his path to West Virginia would come full circle by squaring off against Boyd in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Smith, in his hometown of Miami, would lead the Mountaineers to a 70-33 victory over Boyd's Tigers, while setting numerous records in the process.

Just another day at the office for No. 12.

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Jim Laise contributed to this article.