So when that first moment came last year, and Tony saw his son line the sideline in a No. 12 Carolina jersey, Tony said he had to excuse himself from the stands at Bank of America Stadium.
He was shaking, emotional, and deeply proud.
Shi’s tight-knit hometown is right behind him, too.
“He’s still close,” Tony said. “Everyone is always coming up, pulling for him, rooting for him, through the good and the bad. (The town) has always been behind him, supporting him from high school, college, and especially now. It’s amazing.
“Everywhere I go, someone will be like, ‘There goes Shi’s dad.’ No one knows my name anymore. I’m Shi’s dad.”
Shi said he promised himself that he would have a pendant of Jones once he made it to the NFL. Now, he is frequently spotted with the piece on his chest, keeping the promise intact and the memory of his close friend alive and close to his heart.
While Shi hasn’t heard Jones’ voice or encouragement in over 10 years, he gets to see his friend’s face each day on the pendant he was able to buy after making his NFL goals a reality.
In ways, that pendant symbolizes the realization of what he and Jones had always talked about, celebrating the strides he has taken in his athletic career and the pride he’s brought back to his community in Union.
“Just knowing he’s happy where I’m at,” Shi said. “This has always been my dream. We talked about it. We talked about it. (With) me being here and doing what we talked about, I know he’s happy.”
From that memory, Shi Smith draws strength.
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