University of Memphis offensive lineman Andy Smith has been selected as the male honoree of Georgia’s 2007 Peach of An Athlete Role Model Award by the Atlanta Area Council, Boys Scouts of America.

A native of Fayetteville, Ga., Smith was selected based on his athletic and academic achievements as well as for his community involvement. The award is only offered to student-athletes who either compete at a university or college in Georgia, or who are from Georgia.

Smith lettered as both an offensive and defensive lineman at Starr’s Mill High School before signing with the Tigers.
Smith is a key component of the offensive line at the University of Memphis and will be a senior this fall. He started all but one game in 2006 at right guard and was part of an offensive line that allowed just 14 sacks in 2006, which led Conference USA. As a junior, Smith was in on 745 of the Tigers’ 766 offensive plays and has logged action on 1,373 plays for his career.

A leader on and off the field, Smith earned his bachelor’s degree in geography in December. He will work towards a master’s degree in geography while he completes his eligibility at the U of M. He was a member of the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and also has earned recognition in the Tiger 3.0 Club for six semesters. His community involvement includes working youth football camps, volunteering on Martin Luther King Day at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and reading and interacting with elementary school children locally.

Smith will be honored, along with University of Georgia softball outfielder Kellie Middleton, at the 24th Annual Awards banquet on Thursday, April 26 in Atlanta. In addition to the amateur/collegiate honorees, the Council is also honoring Special Olympian Josh Jansma, a professional honoree, Dominique Wilkins and Bobby Jones Award recipient Dr. Bernard Mullin of the Atlanta Spirit. Past winners of the Bobby Jones Award have been NFL standouts Archie Griffin, Warrick Dunn and Hershel Walker.

“Andy Smith is one of the finest leaders that we have had on our football team since I have been here,” said Coach Tommy West. “He wants to be a leader and he wants to be a role model. He understands that you have to lead by example and he does the right things on and off the field.”

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