Want to take the perfect selfie? Watch the video below for Nolan Smith's tips.

Nolan Smith stood near the far corner of Club Blue Devil, a tented tailgating space steps from the north end zone seats of Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, when he hears it from about 30 feet away.

“Hey, Nolan! Welcome back!” shouts a passerby, waving at the former Duke basketball star and 2010 national champion. Follow Nolan Smith See how Nolan Smith put his lessons from Duke to work and follow the Duke alum on his social media networks: Twitter

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“Thank you!” Smith answers back, flashing a smile and returning the wave.

It would be the first of many fan interactions in the 90 minutes leading up to a Duke football game against University of Miami that involved handshakes, conversations about Duke basketball and selfies. Lots and lots of selfies.

“I’ve been to four football games now and I’d say I’ve taken about 400 selfies,” said Smith, leaving out hundreds of other photos not taken by an outstretched arm. “My muscle memory is in my smile. They’ll get the same smile every time.”

Unbeknownst to fans, from elementary-aged kids to middle-aged men and women, Smith isn’t just hanging out, visiting his alma mater. He’s actually at work.

After a knee injury halted his 2014-15 season playing basketball, Smith returned to Duke early this year for rehab with Duke doctors who knew him from his days as a player. The tedious hours of stretching, lifting and physical therapy added up, and Smith wanted a way to add some variety to his schedule.

With help from Vykky Howard, Duke Athletics’ assistant director of digital media/social media, Smith got recruited to volunteer as a face for Blue Devil social media accounts on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter and the live-streaming app Periscope.

“We really want people to feel like we’re a family and he helps tie that Duke family together,” Howard said. “He is the poster child for having personality.”

It was easy to see as Smith paced the football stadium before the Oct. 31 football game against Miami, always fulfilling requests for photos and chatting with fans.

“Nolan Smith! You’re my hero!” shouted Jim Dobbins, a Duke fan who’s been attending athletic events for about 50 years. He and his brother, Mark, stopped to talk with Smith. They both said Smith is one of their favorite Duke basketball players.

“We recognized him immediately when we saw him,” Jim said.

“I just thought he’d be so much bigger,” Mark joked of the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Smith.

“He’s just such a great, humble guy,” added Jim.

Nolan Smith, right, poses for a selfie with Sgt. Mark Faust of Duke Police. Photo by Bryan Roth.

Personal interactions like that have been a mainstay for Smith as he’s crisscrossed campus during Duke athletic games this fall, but as exciting as it can be for fans, his time at Duke is a learning experience.

“I’ve learned so much about the power of social media and how fans want to see everything,” Smith said. “I’ve always known it was important for individuals as athletes, but it’s different seeing all the work that goes into building a fan base behind the scenes.”

Smith has come to love Periscope, which allows him to broadcast live video of whatever he’s up to - from the sidelines at a sporting event to workouts at a Duke gym. During a recent broadcast, he walked viewers through his lifting routine, explaining what he was doing and why it was important for his strength. It had 370 viewers.

“Just like Duke Athletics is building their brand, I’m definitely taking away things from Vykky that will help me build my own brand when I get back on the court,” he said.

After nearly a year with Duke Athletics, that time has almost come. Smith is set to restart basketball activities in December, bringing to an end his internship learning tips and tricks of social media skills.

“To come back and help out my university has been special to me,” Smith said. “But I’m also thankful for the opportunity to help, learn and just have fun.”