One on One with Erica Smith-Taylor

From the News-Star
November 23, 2003

Erica Smith-Taylor began her third season as a Louisiana Tech Lady Techster on Friday - and second as a full-time starter. Last year, Smith-Taylor started all 34 games and averaged 11.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game to help the Techsters to a 31-3 record and advance to the Sweet 16. The former Palestine-Wheatly (Ark.) High School star scored a career-high 22 points in Tech's NCAA Tournament opening-round win over Pepperdine. She was voted to the second-team All-Western Athletic Conference and the WAC's All-Defensive team. On Aug. 25, Smith-Taylor married professional boxer Jermain Taylor, a 2000 bronze medalist at the Syndey Olympics and currently an undefeated middleweight. News-Star senior writer Scott Beder caught up with Smith-Taylor on opening week:

1. Tell me what married life has been like?

Married life is great. I'm so relaxed and calm. He is such a great supporter. I used to be nervous when he came to the games, but he's there and knows more about basketball and gives me pointers. This summer, I ran with him and came back in shape.

2. Where did you meet?

He's from Little Rock and we met in Colorado Springs when I was trying out for the Junior Olympics. He was training for the 2000 Sydney games and we were in co-ed dorms and we both figured out we were from Arkansas. A conversation started and we exchanged numbers. When we got back to Arkansas, we started dating and now we're married.

3. With him being a professional boxer and you at Tech, where do you guys live?

We have a house in Maumelle, Ark. - it's a beautiful house and we have an apartment in Miami and an apartment in Ruston. We live in three places. I spend Christmas in Florida and Thanksgiving in Maumelle and when he's off, he's in Ruston. It will be like that for another year. It's fun, too. We travel all the time and we have a place to live everywhere we go.

4. Is it hard for you to watch your husband fight in the ring?

I was nervous at first, but he's undefeated. When I look at him, I don't think of a boxer. His skin is crystal clear. He doesn't get hit much. He's calm in the ring. Nobody's hitting him. He's a pretty boy. He models for Everlast.

5. What do your teammates think of you being married?

Most of my friends call it "Glove and Basketball," you know like the movie - "Love and Basketball." Coach (Kurt) Budke says it's like Nick and Jessica on MTV, we both have our own careers. When we meet at the house, it's nice. Tha's pretty much how we are. When we meet up, we're glad to see each other.