Alabama Football Superdome Practice - Sugar Bowl Week

Alabama defensive back Maurice Smith (21) works through drills during the media window as Alabama practiced in the Superdome, Monday, Dec. 29, 2014, in New Orleans. Alabama squares off against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 1, with the winner moving on to the college football playoff final Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas. Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com

(VASHA HUNT)

The television broadcast showed Maurice Smith standing on the sideline with his hands on his hips and a blank look on his face as he stared ahead at nothing in particular.

Alabama coach Nick Saban was in front of Smith, as was defensive coordinator Kirby Smart, each yelling and moving their hands in frustration following a blown assignment by the then-sophomore defensive back that left a Tennessee wide receiver wide open in the flat for an easy touchdown.

Watching at his Texas home, Smith's father, Maurice, was reminded of something that happened during his son's sophomore season at Dulles High School.

Then a part-time player -- similar to last year at Alabama -- Smith made a costly mistake, called for a personal foul after retaliating and shoving an opponent that pushed him.

Smith was summoned to the sideline. When he got there, Dulles coach Jim Creech "lit into his butt like it was nothing," Smith's father said.

Observing the reprimand from Saban and Smart, Smith's dad turned to his wife and said, "This is the exact same deal."

Smith's father has told his son multiple times during the last year, "Your life is repeating itself."

That belief led to him saying to his wife later during the Tennessee game, "Maurice's breakout year is going to be his junior year. It reminds me just like it was when he was in high school."

***

The parallels are there.

Like at Alabama, Smith had to wait for his opportunity to start at Dulles, playing behind multiple talented defensive backs that went on to play college football.

Smith saw time at both cornerback and safety during his first two seasons at the school -- like he has throughout his first two-plus years at Alabama -- before becoming a full-time starter at cornerback as a junior.

Smith enters his junior year at Alabama in a similar position, poised to play a significantly larger role after making just two starts and seeing limited time during his first two years with the Tide.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Smith heads into the fall as Alabama's first-team Star, a nickel back depended on to both cover and support the run effectively.

"He is that hybrid," Creech said. "He's extremely strong. He's a great tackler. He's tremendous in one-on-one coverage, and he's got great hands. Unbelievable hands. ...

"He can play both [cornerback and safety]. I was asked by a lot of different secondary coaches and defensive coordinators throughout the country, 'Do you think he's a safety or do you think he's a corner?' And I've always said, 'He's whatever you want him to be. He can do both those things on defense, and he can return kicks and punts and play wide receiver.'"

***

A former consensus four-star recruit, Smith posted the top bench press among defensive backs (405 pounds) during the Tide's spring testing.

Smith's squat (455 pounds) was tied for the best among defensive backs. He also ran the 40-yard dash in a solid 4.69 seconds.

Beaten for an early 40-yard touchdown on a perfect throw from Jake Coker to ArDarius Stewart during Alabama's spring game in April, Smith bounced back later.

He intercepted Coker on an ill-advised pass over the middle of the field in the third quarter and returned the interception 51 yards for a touchdown.

Following the spring game, Smith's father -- a former defensive back at Texas A&I -- was having a conversation with his son when new defensive backs coach Mel Tucker cut in.

"I asked Maurice what happened on the touchdown [from Coker to Stewart], and I asked him in front of Mel, and Mel said, 'Everybody thought that was Maurice's fault, but [safety Eddie Jackson] should have been over the top on that,'" Smith's father said. "He said, 'Maurice played it perfect.'

"He said, 'But the thing about playing defensive back, when NFL scouts are looking at stuff like that, they don't look at how bad a kid gets beat. They look at the next play. And what he did coming back and making that interception and making the touchdown showed that he has short-term memory.'"

***

Smith and Alabama's other defensive backs are growing under the tutelage of Tucker, Smith's dad said.

A longtime NFL assistant coach and defensive coordinator, Tucker was hired in January.

"Maurice is a lot more comfortable, and I think the fact that coach Tucker is there is helping him," Smith's father said. "Actually all of the kids are getting great help with coach Tucker there, but Maurice has really caught onto it and is really excited about this year."

A contributor since his true freshman season in 2013, Smith recorded 13 tackles and three pass breakups in 11 games as a freshman before tallying 10 tackles and a pass breakup while appearing in all 14 games last year.

Smith, fellow cornerback Bradley Sylve, wide receiver Chris Black and offensive lineman Bradley Bozeman were the recipients of Alabama's Jerry Duncan "I Like to Practice" Award following this spring.

"He learned," Creech said. "He made his mistakes. He played wherever they needed him and whenever they needed him. Stayed coachable. Got bigger and stronger and matured and grew and did all the things that he needed to do, and I think it's finally starting to come to fruition for him."

Smith broke out as a junior at Dulles in 2011, posting 63 tackles and three interceptions before improving heading into a senior season during which he had an interception on defense and caught seven touchdowns on offense.

"I believe it's going to be the same exact thing," Smith's father said, "because now he's more mature and he's learned the system now."