Torrey Smith has always served as a father figure as the oldest of seven children. It is no surprise that he is working hard to set an example for his own kids.

by CHRIS McPHERSON

Torrey Smith has enjoyed a lot of success in his seven-year NFL career. He won a Super Bowl championship with the Baltimore Ravens, but there's one title that he's the proudest of - father.

Smith embraced the notion of being a father someday at a young age. He was born in Colonial Beach, Virginia in 1989. He grew up the oldest of seven children in a household where his father, Clarence Rhodes, was not a constant presence. Smith's mother, Monica Jenkins, worked as a nurse's assistant as well as any additional jobs she could find to provide for her children.

Smith stepped up and helped around the house whenever he could. He would help get his siblings off to school. He assisted in making sure homework was completed. He even earned the nickname, "The Microwave King," from his mom for his ability to cook meals.

"That was just my role within the family. I didn't think it was anything special," Smith says. "I knew that this was how our family was built. My mom works and this is my way to help her."

Smith crafted a vision for what he wanted his family to be like growing up and fought to make it a reality. Today, he is married to his college sweetheart, Chanel, and the couple has two sons - 3-year-old Torrey Jeremiah (T.J.) and 1-year-old Kameron James.

"I wanted to make sure that I had a complete house," Smith says. "I wanted to make sure I did things the quote-unquote right way. I wanted to make sure I was married first because I want my kids to know what love is because, for me, I was always weird when it came to that."

Smith's childhood wasn't the easiest. But he uses stories of his past as examples for his sons so they learn to cherish what they have in their lives. And Smith also wants other children who are in similar situations to the one he once found himself to know there is a way out. That is why he founded the Torrey Smith Family Fund, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, during the 2011 lockout shortly after being drafted by the Ravens.