Making Receivers “Drop It Like It’s Hot”

He's larger than life, an artist, a businessman and the one rapper that your grandma probably knows. He was handpicked by Dr. Dre himself and has gone platinum 15 times. He's a self-made millionaire, a philanthropist and he's synonymous with the City of Angles. He's the D.O. double G.

But to USC star cornerback Jaylin Smith, he's just Snoop.

"Man, everybody looks at Snoop and they're like 'Of course I know who he is', but for me, he's like a father figure. He's a coach, a mentor and someone I can really talk to."

As a young kid growing up in Palmdale, Calif., Smith always dreamed of being a football player. At the age of five years old, he would sit on the sidelines, eyes bright, pleading and praying that at some point he would be able to lace up and play under the bright lights in the Snoop League just like all the older kids he looked up to. But before he played, he needed a nickname, just like every other player had on the back of their jerseys. And thus, just days before he entered kindergarten, Smith was crowned "JRock".

With an official nickname on his back, Smith was ready. In the finale of his first season on the Lancaster Colts, the team his dad created, Smith made an appearance in the biggest game of his young career.

"We had a Super Bowl game, and Snoop was literally in the stands at my game. I had six
touchdowns. So, he was like, 'Yeah, man, we have to get you on my team.'

"We started hanging out, and he started to talk to my dad more. They started to FaceTime, and next thing you know, I'm playing for the Pomona Steelers, formerly known as the Snoop Dogg Steelers."

Smith's early life was not without hardship, and he had to endure unimaginable loss that no young boy should have to experience. Though he found an early mentor in Snoop, he lost his mother at a young age after a car accident took her life. Even at nine years old, he saw football as a path forward and as a way to honor his mother.

"It helped me see a better view of life," he said. "From that point on, football was my way out. It was my motivation for all this hard stuff I went through, and then everything evidently played out for me."

Though Smith developed a supportive network of people who took him under their wing through football, it wasn't until he began attending Bishop Alemany High School that he really understood that his dream was in reach.

"It was surreal," he said." Coming from where I come from, not too many people get that opportunity to get out of Palmdale and do different things. So, for me, just being able to have the opportunity to go to Alemany and showcase my talents there, I wouldn't trade it for the world."

The opportunity to play football at such a prestigious school was once in a lifetime, but it also allowed Smith to meet his best friend and future college teammate, Miller Moss. Smith and Moss grew close quickly, and Smith gained a second family.

"Emily (Moss's mother) is super supportive of me," he said. "And Addie (Moss's younger sister), she's like my little sister. I have her back through everything. She knows I'm always one call away. Miller and I carpooled together to school every day. We'd have early lifts, so that grind of getting up early with my guy every morning was awesome. "

With an unbreakable support system, Smith hasn't looked back. Through his four years at USC, he has tallied 142 tackles, including 10.5 for loss (with 2 sacks), 4 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles and an INT. Even more so, his knack for clutch moments has been displayed with a game clinching deflection versus California in 2023 and a team-leading 12 tackles in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, which earned him Defensive MVP. Ironically, it was alongside his best friend, Moss, who was named the game's Offensive MVP.

From Bishop Alemany to USC, Smith feels blessed to continue to be on this path and recognizes why being a Trojan is so special.

"Being at USC challenges you," he said. "It challenges your brain on and off the field. It's going to push you to be the best version of yourself every day, and you're not going get that anywhere else. Networking wise, you meet so many great people here. You never know in the future who they will become or who you will become!"

Smith has been utilized in a variety of ways in the Trojan defense – from safety, to nickel and this season, he has found his home at cornerback, exactly where he started in high school.

"Mentally, I prepare for all positions," he said. "I've played safety and nickel, so now let's play corner! But having that corner background in high school, it felt like I was getting back to square-one and really working on technique. But it feels good to get back to corner."

And just like the lockdown cornerbacks that have come before him, when a receiver lines up across from Smith, they're out on what he likes to call "JRock Island". But Smith has been out on the island his entire life – persevering, believing, gritting his teeth when he needs to and flashing that infectious smile every other moment.

Players Mentioned

Miller Moss

Jaylin Smith