Je’Mone Smith, NCSA Educational Speaker and former Philadelphia Eagle, thought he knew how the recruiting process worked by watching his older brother become heavily recruited by several major Division I football programs. When it was his turn, Smith realized the process was not the same for every student-athlete. While he was recruited by a few Division I schools during high school, those offers were slowly pulled off the table due to his lack of knowledge about the recruiting process. Fortunately, Je’Mone had kept in touch with college coaches of all levels, and was eventually offered and accepted a full scholarship to Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
For Smith, academics were a top priority and while in college he excelled on the field and in the classroom. Before becoming a free agent in the NFL, Smith earned a BA in Criminology/Pre-Law and later a Master's Degree in Labor Relations from IUP. He also has earned a Master's Degree in Human Resources from Chapman University. Smith has been recognized professionally for his public speaking and business leadership skills, and has been designated as a “Competent Toastmaster” for the Toastmasters International Organization. He currently gives educational recruiting seminars for the NCSA around the country. Je’Mone uses his experience with the recruiting process to help today’s student-athletes and their parents understand what they need to do to be successful at the next level.