South Jersey Magazine - Cherry Hill / Haddonfield / Voorhees

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SJM_People_MartySmith_6_24_REG3_Dept 6 / 26 / 24 11 : 13 AM Page 1 During his career working at ESPN , Marty Smith readily admits he has had several eye - opening moments . Among them are having his first one - on - one interview with Tiger Woods , chugging a beer live on TV with his good friend Dale Earnhardt Jr . or standing on the University of Alabama sideline when now - Philadel - phia Eagle Devonta Smith caught the game - winning touchdown to seal the vic - tory in the 2018 College Football Champi - onship . Smith has now been with the network for 19 years , a feat that “ just blows my mind , ” he says . During that time he’s not only interviewed some of the biggest names in the sports and entertainment world , but also shown great versatility cov - ering several different sports ranging from college football and basketball to golf and NASCAR . He’s reported live from major events like the Daytona 500 , The Kentucky Derby , The Masters and many more . “ I still don’t know how to rationalize that this is my life , ” Smith says . In July , he will get to experience another special moment when he and his wife Lainie serve as grand marshals in Ocean City’s annual Night in Venice boat parade . One may wonder how a Virginia native who now lives in North Carolina ends up being front and center for one of the Jersey Shore’s biggest nights , but it’s not as far - fetched as you may imagine . Smith’s wife grew up in Ocean City , and in 1995 she was actually named Miss Night in Venice . After the two met at Rad - ford University , Smith got to know her beloved Shore town well during visits and fell in love , too . Nine years ago , the family bought a summer home there and Smith has been enjoying every moment since . by Peter Proko Whether he’s working on a book or recording a podcast inside Ocean City Coffee or hitting up a local surf shop for some gear , he has fully embraced his home away from home . “ I work 10 to 10 ½ months nonstop , so Living when I get here in mid - June ever year , I try very hard to unplug and focus on my family and being intentional with my time with my wife and kids . And the energy in Ocean City affords me that because in the everyone here is in this relaxed mode where it’s pickleball in the morning , the beach in the afternoon , and cornhole , the grill and cold beers in the evening . ” Moment We spoke to WHETHER HE’S COVERING THE SPORTS WORLD’S Smith to hear BIGGEST EVENTS FOR ESPN OR ESCAPING TO about his love affair with Ocean Q & A OCEAN CITY WITH HIS FAMILY , MARTY SMITH IS City , his time at GRATEFUL FOR IT ALL . ESPN and more . SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 3 SouthJerseyMagazine.com 18 |

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SJM_People_MartySmith_6_24_REG3_Dept 6 / 26 / 24 11 : 08 AM Page 2 You’ve talked before about how getting cut from your college baseball team was a devastating moment in your life . But how did it propel you to where you are today ? It was a very important moment in my journey , a line of demarcation . In high school I played football in the fall , basketball in the winter , baseball from the spring through the summer . I went to Carson - Newman University first and had a position on the base - ball team — it was my entire identity . So when I get to Radford and I get cut , I lost a piece of myself that I didn’t realize was as important as it was . I sulked over it for several weeks . I don’t care who you are , whether your last high school football game is the last organized team sport opportu - nity you have or your Tom Brady or Peyton Manning and you play at the highest level for 20 years and go out on your own terms , when it’s over there is a substantial void in your life . I didn’t know how I’d fill it , but then I got invited by a young lady to go to the sports information office at Rad - ford . I walked in there and said , “ You don’t have to pay me , I don’t know what I’m doing , but I just want to be a part of something . ” And while in college , you meet a Jersey Girl and now you have this affinity for Ocean City . Tell me about that . We live in Charlotte full time , but this is my wife’s hometown , she went to Ocean City High School and gradu - ated in 1995 . Then she chose Rad - ford , where she and I met . I truly do love it here , it’s a place where I can disconnect and really be immersed in this beautiful energy . To me , it’s reflective in a lot of ways , but it’s also so intentional to make sure I am where my feet are and not running to the next airplane . You have to be very excited that you and your wife will be the grand marshals for this year’s Night in Venice . [ Laughs ] It’s the funniest thing . Lainie was Miss Night in Venice 1995 and so I had heard about [ the parade ] our entire relationship . Then after we bought our place here , it started to make more sense . First of all , Night in Venice is one of my favorite days of the year . July 4 SOUTH JERSEY MAGAZINE volume 21 issue 3 SouthJerseyMagazine.com | 19

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