STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Bam Smith points to the sky every time he makes a huge defensive play for Tarleton State Football. 

It's the senior linebacker's way of showing love for the people in his life that are no longer on Earth. His father, Patrick, is one of the most important ones. 

With his father passing away this past spring, Smith has dedicated his last year as a Texan to the man that made him who he is today. 

"He led by example for me," Smith said. "He always had a different type of approach with me than most parents would have with their kids. He spoke life into me."

There was no shortage of life lessons in the Smith household, with Patrick consistently instilling wisdom to his son through one-on-one conversations. While some of those elements did not register until later in life, Bam always seeked guidance from his mentor as he grew up. 

A speed bump in the father-son relationship came when Bam's older brother was killed due to gun violence. The loss of Patrick's other son took a toll on his mental health and hindered the relationship with Bam, Smith said. 

Patrick eventually "crawled out of the slump" and became the father figure Bam was looking for. Bam's father continued to teach him valuable life lessons he uses today, with the most important being following his intuition and never second guessing himself. 

The two bonded not only for their love for football, but for their interest in motorcycles. Patrick rode Harley Davidsons throughout his life and would take Bam with him when he would visit the clubhouse with his friends. Patrick also did a handful of things for the first time in his life for Bam, including flying on an airplane in order to drop his son off at college. 

As he was walking off Memorial Stadium following a spring practice earlier this year, Smith received a call that no son wishes to hear. His father passed away. 

"I just broke down right there," Smith recalled. "I was thinking 'I have to go 10 times harder now.' He was one of my biggest supporters."

Smith made the decision shortly after the funeral to dedicate his senior football season at Tarleton State to his father's memory. The Hollywood, Florida, native planned to switch his jersey to his favorite number, #7, but decided to stay with #17 since that was the last number Patrick saw his son wore. Patrick's birthday occurred on the 17th of September, giving Bam all the more reason to stick with it. 

An opportunity to switch to #7 came in the middle of the season and Smith took advantage. That, however, did not change the reason why he steps on the field every Saturday. 

"As long as I have a seven on me, I feel good," Smith said. "The number seven is spiritually connected to me because I'm such a lucky individual. I always feel like I'm in the right place at the right time. Everything always pans out for me." 

From the moment the news broke, Smith's Tarleton State Football family has supported him through the grieving process. Even if it was just saying a simple "welcome back" to him when Smith came back to the team, the senior linebacker felt the bond and care he received from his football brothers. 

That chemistry translated on the field, with Smith giving the defense a lift in the Texans' historic 2025 campaign. After recording a season-high four tackles in a double overtime win at Army, Smith has been a huge reason behind Tarleton State's elite defense. The Texans are No. 8 in passing defense, No. 15 in scoring defense and No. 24 in total defense in the nation. Tarleton State's defense has also scored four touchdowns themselves, tied-fifth most in the nation.

"Everyone was there for me," Smith said. "The whole coaching staff texted me one-on-one when I was in Florida for the funeral. That showed me they genuinely cared about me. It's bigger than football and it was very heartfelt. Our chemistry is unmatched. I feel like my teammates are genuinely my brothers." 

Smith looks to continue his father's tribute for a deep FCS Playoff run. While Smith and his father had their ups and downs, he knows that his father is why he is the man who runs out of the Texan tunnel every Saturday. 

"At the end of the day, he was a great dad," Smith said. "With everyone, we should give each other more grace because this is all our first time on this earth. As he got older and I got older, our relationship got better. I hate that it was cut short, but I live with no regrets because he showed me love and I showed him love."