April 4, 2018 -- To mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Cleveland.com has been publishing a series of videos and articles in its "Promised Land" series. Heights High's Tyreke Smith, a standout football player who has spoken out about racial issues, was recently featured in the series.
From the article, written by John Pana:
Tyreke Smith stands out as he walks through the halls of newly renovated Cleveland Heights High School.
Almost everyone knows him as a standout 6-foot, 3-inch defensive end recruited by Urban Meyer to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes starting this fall. But Smith will be the first to tell you football isn't everything. He's also proud of his 4.0 grade-point average and about speaking out about issues affecting the black community.
He got attention last summer at Ohio State's instructional camp when he wore a T-shirt his brother made which read: "I hope I don't get killed for being black today." This came in the midst of multiple high profile shooting deaths of African-Americans involving police.