The ‘334 Boys’ shine at Blue-Gray All-American Bowl

Enterprise senior Jared Smith and New Brockton senior Julian Noble represented Coffee County at the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl at the Dallas Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium in Dallas, TX. on Jan. 25.

Both Smith and Noble – who were members of The Sun’s 2020 Elite 11 – were designated starters for the Grey team and referred to by teammates and coaches as the “334 Boys.”

Smith ended up earning Offensive MVP honors in the game after collecting seven passes for an eye-popping 222 yards and four touchdowns in the game.

“It was an amazing experience to go out there and compete against really high level talent,” Smith said. “I think being able to play in Cowboy Stadium was very exciting. I didn’t expect to have that kind of game. Coach Beasley really believed in me and I thank him for putting that much trust in me to go make a play over and over.”

Included in Smith’s four touchdowns were two that were over 70 yards. While his performance may have surprised some, those that follow Enterprise football probably weren’t so surprised as the 6-foot-1-inch speedster was just picking up where he left off the 2020 season. Smith caught 12 passes for 326 yards and five touchdowns in Enterprise’s final two games of the season.

Grey head coach Ken Stills – who is a longtime NFL veteran with the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings – was impressed with Smith’s performance but not surprised.

“Smith made play after play in the All-American Bowl, and no surprise, he did the same thing during practice before the game,” Stills said. “You can’t ask for much more than that. Where he lands at the next level, you can bet that the college is going to be happy having Smith on campus.”

Noble also had a big day tallying eight tackles and serving as the defensive play caller for the Grey squad when he was on the field. He also played on special teams.

“This was definitely the best experience I’ve had in my athletic career,” Noble said. “I enjoyed meeting the athletes and coaches.

“An event like this validates all the hard work I’ve put in. The confidence Coach Ken Stills had in me to be the defensive play caller was special.”

Noble said one of the cooler things about the game was getting a chance to play with one of his best friends on the same team.

“I enjoyed playing with my best friend (Jared Smith) most of all,” Noble said. “We shared a special moment together.

“We’ve trained together, ran the hill together, sacrificed many things together, all for moments like this. Jared and I played in the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium together! To be called the ‘334 Boys’ by the coaches and teammates filled me with pride.”

Noble even wore No. 12 in the game as Smith wears No. 11.

Smith said that working with NFL veterans would only help him get ready for the next level.

“Working with the NFL coaches and players was a great way of getting me ready for college and how college coaches will coach me,” Smith said.

Noble agreed with that assessment.

“The valuable instructions from NFL veterans was big,” Noble said. “Also, the tips, advice and their personal stories will stay with me forever.”

Smith confirmed to The Sun on Feb. 2 that he had committed to the University of West Florida and plans to sign with the Pensacola, Fla. school on National Signing Day, Feb. 3. New Brockton coach Zack Holmes told The Sun Noble plans to sign with a school a later date.