Vero Beach football fans have plenty of reasons to tune into University of Illinois games this season, as two hometown heroes are making their mark on the Big Ten both on and off the field. Former Vero Beach High School standouts Maurice Smith Jr. and Champ Smith have reunited in Champaign, Illinois, navigating the rigors of Division I college football and the everyday challenges of being first-time roommates.
While their parents, Tenice and Maurice Sr., remain back home in Indian River County, the brothers have had to quickly establish their own ground rules for living together miles away from the Treasure Coast.
Usually it gets to the point whoever’s in the house yelling the loudest, ‘Hey, man, take out the trash!’ I’ve tried to make sure we stay on top of our house being clean.
The road to this unique family reunion was paved with different athletic journeys for each brother:
- Maurice Smith Jr.: A 2022 graduate of Vero Beach High School, Maurice transitioned from quarterback to a 6-foot-4, 255-pound tight end. He ultimately transferred to Illinois after spending time at Chowan University in North Carolina and Long Island University.
- Champ Smith: A highly coveted four-star offensive lineman out of Vero Beach, the 18-year-old freshman famously flipped his collegiate commitment from UCLA to join the Illini after head coach Bret Bielema offered his older brother a spot on the roster.
Living thousands of miles from Florida, the brothers have provided crucial support for one another. Champ, now an imposing 6-foot-6, 330-pound lineman, initially clung closely to his older brother before the coaching staff encouraged him to branch out. The strategy worked perfectly, as Champ has rapidly integrated into the team culture, making a strong case for a spot on the two-deep depth chart.
For Maurice, who is entering his fifth and final year of college eligibility, the experience of guiding his younger brother has been profoundly rewarding. Drawing on his own experiences of moving from Florida to New York and North Carolina, Maurice has actively tried to absorb the stressful burdens of transitioning to a new city so Champ can focus on adapting to college life and complex playbooks.
As the brothers navigate their lone season playing college football together, the Vero Beach community can proudly watch two of its own not just succeeding on a national sports stage, but growing together as young men.
