For someone whose life was dominated by the physical – and mental – demands of playing offensive tackle at the collegiate level – there is a wonderful calmness to Tyson Smith.
Being a year removed from his final college game for the NCAA Div. III Loras (Dubuque, Iowa) Duhawks, is likely a factor in Smith’s upbeat demeanor.
That his first season of coaching high school football (line coach at his alma mater, Morrison, Illinois, High School) is now in the books, could be another reason.
That Smith, one of life’s incredibly good souls, thoroughly enjoys all that comes with being an impactful second-grade teacher, has something to do with it.
And….After seven years together, Smith and his high school and college sweetheart, will tie the knot in May of 2026. Knowing you have found the perfect life-partner is a weight off anyone’s shoulders.
Finally, after three years of struggle, being pain-free helps Smith through the above.
“Waking up and feeling good is a big change,’’ said a smiling Smith while sharing a funny moment with Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Matt Moore, Clinic Manager, PT, OCS, at Rock Valley’s Morrison, Il-based clinic.
Together since three days after Smith’s (external ligament) knee surgery in July of 2025, therapist and patient worked tirelessly to bring the ever-upbeat, 6-foot-4 lineman, who played college football at 285 pounds, back to 100 percent.
“It feels good to take a step and know my (right) knee is not going to give (dislocate) on me,’’ added Smith – from a family of educators – who is a second-grade teacher in the Morrison school district. Smith is also certified in mathematics to teach K-8th grade.
“I’ve just been sore for a long time, more than three years,’’ Smith continued. “Sore after a lift, sore after a practice, sore after a game, sore just moving around. I spent my share of time in the training room at Loras College and now I have spent a lot of time with Matt. I feel great.’’
With the rigors and demands of football at an elevated level, Smith says he found himself a “chronic dislocator’’ during the later stages of his sophomore season at Loras.
Despite constant discomfort, he managed to play through spring football of his junior campaign, and through his issues to play his junior and senior seasons at Loras, no small feat for anyone with any knowledge of life in college football’s trenches.
“Actually, both knees dislocated sometimes when not doing anything physical, but the right was the problem area,’’ said Smith, who – in addition to his football duties at Morrison – is coaching middle school basketball this (2025-26) season.
“I used to brace my knee and tape it to play, to keep rockin’ n rollin’ with it. The team doctor and the training staff were always monitoring things, and I appreciate what they did. Then, once I knew I was done playing football, I decided to get my knee repaired so my future life would be better instead of having something done that would just keep me on the football field. I had (external ligament) surgery in Iowa City, Iowa, an outpatient (procedure) that took 90 minutes, and three days later – after it was the first place I called – I walked into Rock Valley.’’
Smith knew his way around the Morrison clinic, having served an internship in high school at Rock Valley-Morrison.
A bond between therapist and patient was quickly formed.
“Range of motion and quad-control were two areas that came through quickly,’’ Moore, a dedicated and compassionate therapist, who excels in orthopedic rehabilitation, said of the preliminary stages of his work toward Smith’s recovery.
“As a testament to Tyson, he had done so much work strengthening his knee before the surgery that we were in great shape in that area,’’ Moore added. “He was ahead of protocol when it came to range of motion and weight-bearing. And there was no issue with muscle lag. His motivation stemming from his athletic background played a big part for Tyson. He was great to be around.’’
A July surgery and an August start to football and school beginning were key factors to Smith’s recovery outside Rock Valley’s walls. He would get extra strength work with the football team, be on his feet for school, and then for practice.
“In addition to the work Matt did – which played an important part – I would do work in the weight room with the kids in football camp,’’ Smith said. “And when school started, I was teaching and I would then go to practice. I was active. I was on my feet for 10 hours moving, and with the work I was doing with Matt, it all made a difference. Sure, there were some (blocking) techniques I couldn’t give my all to, but I believe with the work we did with Matt and being busy and active, we got ahead of the game. At the end of the season – when something really good or really bad happened – I did a squat all the way to my ankle, and it felt good. That tells you where I am at.’’
Having a knowledgeable – and caring therapist – played a significant role in Smith’s recovery. While he harbors profound respect for Moore as a professional, he enjoyed greatly that he got to know him as a person.
“Matt’s great,’’ Smith said. “He was here (Rock Valley) every morning when we worked together. He started by asking me how I was doing and how school and the kids were. He genuinely cares about that. We’d always talk about football. It would have been better if Morrison were better, but Matt kept raising the bar.
“He understood my background and where I came from,’’ Smith added. “I had surgery on a Thursday and squatted 450 pounds the Tuesday before. He knew I was coming from not sitting on my butt for the past six months before surgery, that I had been a college athlete, and we could push things a little faster and harder to get back to what I wanted to do. I so appreciated that.’’
And Smith appreciates today that he is pain free.
By: Johnny Marx, Storyteller