SI High School Athlete of the Month: Daijon Smith

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Feb 11, 2016

SI High School Athlete of the Month: Daijon Smith

2016-0209-High-School-Athlete-of-the-Month-DSC_0001.jpg — LeAire Wilson

Sports Illustrated traveled to Harper Woods High in Michigan on Tuesday, Feb. 9, to recognize January selection Daijon Smith as the SI High School Athlete of the Month, presented by the U.S. Marine Corps.

2016-0209-High-School-Athlete-of-the-Month-IMG_9621.jpg — LeAire Wilson

Sgt Jeffrey Frantjeskos of the Marines and Daijon’s mother Kashema Smith-McFarland, flank Daijon on the left, while Detroit Pistons assistant coach Tim Hardaway Sr. and editor of the SI High School Athlete of the Month series, Ali Fenwick, help present him with a framed copy of his issue and a letterman’s jacket.

2016-0209-High-School-Athlete-of-the-Month-DSC_0007.jpg — LeAire Wilson

Daijon appeared in the Jan. 25 issue of Sports Illustrated.

2016-0209-High-School-Athlete-of-the-Month-IMG_9618.jpg — Andrew Stallings

Sgt Luke Brooks of the U.S. Marine Corps (right) greets Will Smith, a former Marine, who founded Neighborhood United Maxiumum Effort Now (N.U.M.E.N.), a youth basketball program that serves the Harper Woods area. Smith nominated Daijon (no relation) for SI’s High School Athlete of the Month honor after reading about the monthly series in the magazine.

2016-0209-High-School-Athlete-of-the-Month-IMG_9589.jpg — Ali Fenwick

Daijon, who helped build up the N.U.M.E.N. program from a 40-member summer camp to a full-fledged youth league boasting 150 kids from third through tenth grades, poses with some of the children he coaches in the N.U.M.E.N. program.