It’s hard to pinpoint the time line in terms of when and how the Smiths told Duffy Daugherty about my dad. It’s likely the camaraderie began when Willie Ray Smith Sr. coached Bubba and my dad in a high school East-West All-Star Game in their junior or senior year. They developed a friendship, and when my dad heard that Bubba was planning to accept an offer at Michigan State, Coach Smith said he’d put in a “good word” to Duffy Daugherty in hopes they’d consider my dad as well. And he did.
