Standout Soccer Player Well-Rounded On, Off Field
SALEM, Va. --- Each spring, the Old Dominion
Athletic Conference (ODAC) Board of Directors recognizes its top
male and female athlete with a pair of the conference's highest
honors. This year, the 2007 Harry G. "Doc" Jopson
Scholar-Athlete Award winner as the top male student-athlete is
Hampden-Sydney College senior, Greg Smith. A native of
Warrenton, Virginia, Smith is a standout on the Tigers' men's
soccer team.
Inaugurated in 1981, the Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Scholar-Athlete
Award is given each May to a member college senior and conference
male sport participant who exhibits the highest athletic, academic,
and extracurricular achievements. The Jopson award is named
for the Bridgewater College professor and coach who retired in 1981
following 45 years at the college. Dr. Jopson, who initiated and
directed the Eagles' cross country and track programs, led his
teams to ODAC indoor track titles in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and
outdoor crowns in 1978 through 1981.
In the classroom, Smith boasts a 3.92 grade point average while
majoring in mathematical economics. He was named the 2006
ODAC Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and is a consistent
member of both the ODAC All-Academic Team and the Hampden-Sydney
Dean's List. He is the recipient of the James Madison and
Presidential scholarships. Smith was inducted into Omicron
Delta Kappa, the national leadership honorary, and Phi Beta Kappa
national academic honorary.
Smith is a two-time team captain (2005 and 2006) for the Tigers'
soccer team, and was awarded the 2006 Players Choice Most Valuable
Player award. He was named to the All-ODAC First Team in 2006
as a midfielder, leading the league in assists with nine.
Smith was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of
America (NSCAA) All-Region Third Team, and was selected to the
D3kicks.com All-Region Second Team. The Virginia Sports
Information Directors (VASID) tabbed him as Second Team
All-State. He will graduate from Hampden-Sydney having
started 48 of the 65 games he played while scoring 13 goals and
assisting on 12 others.
Outside of the classroom and off the field, Smith is a member of
Hampden-Sydney's prestigious "Society of '91," and a radio host on
WWHS, the college radio station. He is the assistant art
director for The Kaleidoscope, the College's yearbook, and
is a member of the College Ambassador Committee. Smith had a
unique title under Hampden-Sydney's guise as the manager of the
Tigerfund, the College's equity investment fund.
"Greg Smith is one of the most outstanding student-athletes to
attend Hampden-Sydney College," expressed HSC athletic director,
Joe Bush, in a letter to the conference. "He is a stellar
student, effective leader, and one of the very best soccer players
to ever attend the College."