The SMU football team’s practice on the morning of Oct. 6 was just like any other. The Mustangs had beaten the Rice Owls the previous Saturday, and were preparing for their upcoming game against Tulsa.

Injuries are as much a part of life for football players as early-morning practices, lengthy hours in the weight room and pregame pep talks. But football injuries normally include things like sprained ankles and twisted knees. During that Wednesday morning practice, SMU safety suffered an injury that proved as frightening as it was damaging.

Sophomore safety Ryan Smith has 30 tackles and is tied for the team lead with two interceptions, despite missing a game with an arterial hematoma (photo by Travis Johnston).

In one of the passing drills the Mustangs run countless times in every practice, Smith was covering senior receiver Aldrick Robinson.

“I was covering Al, and I batted the ball down — it was a play I’ve made all my life,” Smith said. “But when I came down, I landed on my elbow, and it kind of drove my upper arm into my shoulder.

“It turns out I tore an artery in my chest — an arterial hematoma. I was bleeding into my chest. I felt it, but it didn’t hinder me. I finished out the practice, but I was in pain. I had a lot of swelling overnight — even through a sweatshirt, people would tell me it was twice the size of the other side.”

Smith underwent a series of tests, including X-rays, a CT scan and an MRI.

“The day after the MRI, they still couldn’t really tell,” Smith said. “They asked if I had ever had a large mass in my chest.”

The question understandably sent a jolt of fear through Smith.

“When they said ‘large mass’ … what else could I think except a (cancer) tumor?” Smith asked. “But I’ve been a pretty healthy kid — I have to thank God for that. When I thought about that, I knew that (cancer) was not the case.

“It turns out it was a small arterial tear. The doctors said it was something that would heal on its own, because the tear was too deep in my chest to drain. So I sat out (against Tulsa), which was hard, because you always want to be there for your team.”

Smith admitted that coming back from his injury was a different process from the recovery from so-called “normal” injuries.

“When I felt I had my full range of motion back, that’s when I got back to full speed,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t play scared. If it’s God’s will for me to get hurt, I’m going to get hurt. I can’t worry about that. If I’m healthy — and I am — I have to play the only way I know.”

Smith returned to the field when the Mustangs traveled to Annapolis, Md., to face Navy. He wore a small brace under his pads that he said didn’t limit his range of motion, but helped prevent his arm from being driven into his shoulder and causing a similar injury.

Smith is now back to doing everything he did before he got hurt: lifting weights, taking part in all drills during practice and playing in the Mustangs’ games. He said that despite the serious nature of his injury, and the violent element of the sport, he does not do his job fearing another injury.

“There’s a risk of getting hurt every time you play a game, every time you put pads on,” he said. “When you start thinking you might get hurt, that’s when it can happen. I’m from a family of very strong faith, and I know that will carry me through.”

Some serious injuries can impact players’ families, as well as the players themselves. In Smith’s case, the physical nature of football is a family tradition; his father, Anthony, played for SMU, and his brother, Bencil, played at Rice. By now, he said, his mother, Lavon, has learned that injuries are part of the game.

“My mom is a soldier,” Smith said. “I’m the youngest of six, so we have had our share of injuries, whether they happened playing football or doing something else. But she’s a strong believer in God, and she knows injuries come with the game. When this happened, she was concerned, of course, but she’s mentally very strong.”

Smith said that while he feels good physically, his faith and his dedication to his team quickly eliminated any hesitation he felt when returning to the field.

“I feel good, and I have a lot to improve to be a better player,” Smith said. “I can only worry about what I can control, so my approach is that I’m going out there every day to put it on the line for my teammates.”