J’Mar Smith Completes full circle comeback As Stallions Starting Qb
MAY 17, 2025 - BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
By Steve Irvine
Realistically, J’Mar Smith wasn’t supposed to have the football in his hands with the clock ticking down in a critical game for the Birmingham Stallions this past Sunday at Protective Stadium.
By his own choice, Smith wasn’t with the team when the season started. Smooth sailing at the quarterback position throughout the season and Alex McGough or Matt Corral would have been in the game. Just a small amount of turbulence and it would have been Case Cookus with the football. However, it’s been neither smooth sailing or small turbulence at quarterback for Skip Holtz’s football team. The Stallions had a total of six quarterbacks on the roster in the first seven weeks. Five of those quarterbacks have played in a game. No other team in the UFL has played more than three quarterbacks this season. The D.C. Defenders have played two but starter Jordan Ta’amu has thrown 237 of the team’s 238 passes.
Yet, there Smith was, trying to finish off a go-ahead 75-yard drive while facing a 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Smith rolled right on a run-pass option and tucked the ball to run. He split two defenders and made a third miss on his way to the end zone for the go-ahead score in what was ultimately a 33-25 victory over Houston that puts the Stallions firmly in control of one of the two playoff spots from the UFL Division.
“It just feels good to be back with the guys,” Smith in the postgame press conference. “I was at home working, just just trying to stay in shape, just getting my mental right, trying to grow up as a man a little bit. When (Holtz) gave me the call and told me are you're ready for me to come back, I was all happy. It's a blessing to be back.”
Understanding that moment, though, isn’t complete without digging a bit into the journey back to the field for the 28-year-old Meridian, Mississippi native. Perhaps the best starting spot comes on the final series of the 2023 season opening game against the New Jersey Generals. At the time, Smith was on a roll. He had beaten out McGough for the starting job during camp and completed a 61-yard touchdown pass to Austin Watkins on the Stallions first snap of the season. Smith was 10-for-15 for 160 yards as he drove the Stallions deep into the Generals territory in the final minute of the first half. However, his season ended after he broke his finger on his throwing hand while making a block. McGough threw a short touchdown pass to Sternberger on his first snap and went on to win UFL MVP honors after leading the Stallions to their second consecutive USFL title.
“It kind of got to me,” said Smith, who had surgery on his finger almost immediately. “It was the first time I've ever been out for (a long time) because of an injury in my career. I think the last time I missed a game (due to injury) was high school, my freshman year, so it kind of got to me. But I couldn't let it get me down too much. I still had the job to do with supporting the guys while I was doing my rehab and everything. So, it kind of helped me grow into a more of a leadership spot and just trying to, to get the guys going and be a motivator.”
He worked his way back to health by the time training camp started for the 2024 season but ended up as the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind Adrian Martinez and Matt Corral. Martinez and Corral split starting duties early in the season before Martinez took over and led the Stallions to another spring league title while winning UFL MVP honors.
It was a difficult time for Smith. Outwardly, he did what he could to encourage his teammates and was happy with the team’s success. Inwardly, as a competitor accustomed to being on the field, he went through what he called “dark times.”
“It kind of built up,” Smith said. “It was bad because, you know, the starter and the backup need to get their reps in. I was never mad about that. It's what needs to happen for a team to be successful. But it was just for me, I wanted to practice, just to work on the craft, just to try to get better part. When I with the team, I was supporting the guys, being there for everyone to try to do my part in the situation I had.”
Holtz’s plan when training camp opened this season was to have a quarterback room consisting of McGough, Corral and Smith. Just before camp opened, though, Smith made a difficult phone call to a head coach he’s been with since arriving at Louisiana Tech. He called to say he wasn’t coming to camp.
“When I come back to this year, you know, it was just, I thought that Coach is bringing in a guy that won MVP for him and then he’s bringing back another guy that he won with last year,” Smith said. “In my mind, I felt like he viewed me as a (No. 3) guy, just someone to support (the other two). We had a talk and it wasn't the case. But it came down to me being in a dark spot last year and not having the chance to practice and work on my craft. We’re in a better spot now with just the time away helping me develop more. I knew I was going to play more football but I had to grow up, face that adversity and just overcome that mountain.”
His path during the offseason and his time away from football once camp began was filled with variety. Working out at the gym six days a week while also sharpening his quarterback skills with trainer Demetric Price took up a chunk of his time. He also is working on finishing his Master’s degree in business administration with online classes from Louisiana Tech and works in automobile detailing. Smith, who has lived in Birmingham since joining the Stallions in 2022, also took a job with Dunkin’ Donuts in Vestavia.
He did it all with an eye toward getting back on the field.
“Dunkin’ Donuts, they gave me the great opportunity to train and learn there, progress in the company and have a set routine of working in the morning and afternoon and working out in the evening,” Smith said. “I can't thank those people enough for the opportunity they gave me to be a part of their organization. I was doing just about everything. Anything dealing with coffee, I was your man. I got to do a lot more training, just to step into a different role. Like I say, it was a great opportunity.”
At the same time, Holtz was dealing with the revolving door in his quarterback room.
“I always wanted J’Mar on this roster,” Holtz said. “I was disappointed when he made the decision that he did at the beginning of the season. I think at that time, it was good for him. Ever since, probably the third game, he has been texting me with regret about the decision that he made and how much that he wants to be back involved. I am just appreciative and grateful that those opportunities have shown up for him. I think the world of him.”
For now, Holtz moves into Saturday’s showdown at St. Louis, which features two of the UFL’s four teams with a 5-2 record, with a quarterback group that consists of McGough, Smith and Cookus. McGough returned after missing nearly every snap of the past six games with a shoulder injury. Time will tell what the quarterback rotation looks like the rest of the way but expect Smith to be a big part of the equation moving forward.
For Smith, it’s also a chance to show, by example and words, what perseverance through adversity and working through the “dark times” looks like.
“It's a key factor if you're an athlete or just, I don't want to say a regular person, but just an everyday worker, you know,” Smith said. “We're all humans, we all have a sense of direction, we all have feelings, we all have emotions. And one of the strongest things in your body is your brain. Your brain can trick you to believe in one thing or it can help you to believe in another thing. They can stop you from doing those things or helping you. So, you have to just decide, you're not doing something, you're going to do something else. It's going to be tough, you're going to doubt yourself, you're going to have regrets. You've got to live with regrets, you can't look back, you've got to look forward, keep going forward, step forward and do what you have to do. For me, it's a great thing, you know, because a lot of people don't come out on the other side of that mountain.”