Meet Angelo Smith, Chaminade-Madonna defensive back and 2026 Nat Moore Trophy contender
Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory defensive back Angelo Smith knows what it takes to build a Nat Moore Trophy legacy.
His older brother, Jeremiah Smith, won the award in 2023 before becoming a star wide receiver at Ohio State. Now, Angelo is looking to follow in his footsteps while adding another trophy to Chaminade-Madonna's collection in Hollywood.
The Lions have produced three of the six all-time Nat Moore Trophy winners, and Angelo hopes to become the fourth.
"It's a legacy, we trying to build something at Chaminade," Smith said. "Coach Jones, so he got best of the best players every year coming from this school. So, if I can win it, and them guys can win it, I know I can win it for sure."
Angelo Smith looks to add to Chaminade-Madonna's Nat Moore Trophy legacy
For Smith, winning the award would mean joining a group of players who have continued to excel after leaving South Florida high school football.
"The best players who won it so far, they're the top of the top in college, things like that," Smith said. "So I feel like if I win that, it definitely adds a legacy to my family and the school."
Having a Nat Moore Trophy winner in his own family only adds to his motivation.
"It just adds fuel to my fire, knowing that I got picked for it," Smith said. "It just adds fuel to my fire that people can see I could do something that's positive."
Smith's football journey began long before he became a standout safety for the Lions. He said he started playing the game when he was about 4 years old, initially lining up at running back.
"I think I fell in love with the game the first, probably the first time I touched the football," Smith said.
That early connection to the sport has developed into a passion Smith says carries him through both the highs and lows of football.
"I think it's the energy I got for the game," Smith said. "Even the bad days you got, you got to just keep coming. That's why I really feel I love football. It's ups and downs, but if you stay at it, that's where your love come from that."
Now, Smith has an opportunity to create his own chapter in both his family's and Chaminade-Madonna's Nat Moore Trophy history
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