Time Out with Brandon Smith (2003 Vintage High graduate)

Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life? Brandon Smith: I enjoyed the days of preparation with my teammates.  There are so many stories that took place at practice.    D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school? Smith: Since graduating in 2003 I have been relatively busy.  I started by joining the U.S. Air Force in 2005. I was stationed in Florida throughout my four year military career.  I was deployed to Iraq in 2007. Following the completion of my commitment I followed my dreams of being a Firefighter. I became a Paramedic and worked in Stockton.  In August of 2013 I was hired with Los Angeles County Fire Department. I am currently working as a Firefighter/Paramedic for the department. I am living in Venice Beach currently. D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High? Smith: My favorite class would probably have to be Shakespeare as odd as that may sound.  It was a smaller class where everyone was friends.  We had a lot of fun our senior year taking that class.  The teacher was generally a pretty good sport about the whole thing.   D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High? Smith: My favorite athletic moment of high school would probably have to be the Vacaville game my junior year at Memorial Stadium. That is a week I will remember the rest of my life. It started on Monday when we found out a friend of myself and many of my teammates, Chris Jones had passed away. On Tuesday 9/11 happened in New York City. Many of the players including myself missed practice throughout the week leading up to the Friday night game. Coach (Les) Franco and his staff really had their hands full that week with everything happening. On Friday, the week of emotion just all came out on the field. Our fullback, Mark Carducci, broke off a long touchdown run early in the game and I just remember all of the emotion that was felt after that one play. We played that game with an invincibility I don't think I have felt since. We went on to beat them by a pretty good margin. D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics? Smith: I believe I have grown a lot through the years and much of can be traced back through athletics.  Playing sports your whole life makes you accountable to a team.  It teaches you a responsibility while instilling a work ethic into you.  My career now functions as a team and I believe the lessons I learned early on contribute to my current successes. D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people? Smith: My mom has been a huge influence on me.  She was the single mother of four kids and she did her best to raise us and provide us with everything we needed to succeed.  She taught me that if there is a will there is a way. D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet. Smith: I would want to meet the FDNY firefighters who passed away on 9/11.  I would like to sit down have a beer and pick their brain of what was going through their brain as the events of day unfolded.