KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — About 11 months ago, Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith was declared out indefinitely after blood clots were once again discovered in his lungs. It was one of those moments you're reminded football is just a game. There are things more important than 60 minutes spent on the turf every Saturday in the fall.
There was no timetable. There was no certainty that Smith would be able to make a return to the sport he loved, where his deeds grew with each pancake block stacked against his foes in Neyland Stadium. Where did he turn during such tumultuous times?
"Undying faith, to be quite frank with you. Just got in my Bible a lot more, trusted in God," Smith told the media on Wednesday afternoon.
He came back to one verse over and over again throughout his months undergoing treatment for the blood clots in his lungs: Corinthians 15:58.
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
"I know all the hard work I've put into this sport, all the hours, all the times I could have been with my friends is not been in vain, I'm going to benefit from it," Smith said.
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt said throughout much of spring and summer, the team, Smith, and his family had been working with doctors from around the country to find the best treatment and path for Smith moving forward.
"Trey wants to play football and they're in a process of figuring out a plan so he can be able to do that," Pruitt said during SEC Media Days in Hoover, Alabama.
So when that day finally came in late August, just days before Tennessee's home opener against Georgia State, how did the junior offensive lineman feel?
"A lot of relief, a long time coming," Smith said.
What pushed Smith to stay the course, to continue his football career, was always simple: a love for the game.
"Since I was a little boy, I've always dreamed of playing football. Watching CBS, Verne Lundquist on TV. From a young age, I've always dreamed about it. Whenever they gave me another opportunity, i didn't hesitate, I have an undying love for the game, it's almost like an illness, I can't get it out of me, to be honest. I love the game of football, if I could find something more than this, I'd probably be doing it, but to be quite frank, I just love this too much."