#76: Wquinton Smith on Rufus King High School and Milwaukee football

<p>Wquinton “Q” Smith was a standout football and basketball player at Rufus King High School in Milwaukee before becoming a point guard for the University of Wisconsin’s Men’s Basketball team. Q joined the SGG podcast, where we discussed:</p>

<p>1. &nbsp;What Rufus King is known for: academics and basketball.</p>

<p>2. &nbsp;The “Wall of Fame” at King.</p>

<p>3. &nbsp;The neighborhood surrounding King High School.</p>

<p>4. &nbsp;What makes King such a good school. “Everybody takes pride in it.”</p>

<p>5. &nbsp;Playing football in the Neighborhood Children’s Sports League growing up. “It prepared me.”</p>

<p>6. &nbsp;Why Q nearly quit football after his freshman year of high school.</p>

<p>7. &nbsp;What Q didn’t like about football.</p>

<p>8. &nbsp;Sub-par <a href="http://archive.jsonline.com/news/new-bleachers-shiny-lockers-school-challenges-intensify-b99478650z1-302224741.html">facilities</a> and equipment for the football team at King.</p>

<p>9. &nbsp;How King’s identity as an academic and basketball school may have served as a barrier to the team’s football program.</p>

<p>10. &nbsp;“If you build it, they will come.”</p>

<p>11. &nbsp;Why some kids at King couldn’t go out for football.</p>

<p>12. &nbsp;Dwindling <a href="https://www.wiscnews.com/portagedailyregister/sports/high-school/football/prep-football-participation-numbers-continue-to-drop-in-wisconsin-and-elsewhere/article_6d31a84e-ce65-5e0f-8a74-e3bc472fdbd5.html">football participation</a> across the <a href="https://www.nfhs.org/media/1020406/2018-19-participation-survey.pdf">country</a>.</p>

<p>13. &nbsp;Building character and friendships through football.</p>

<p>14. &nbsp;“Football helped me branch out and meet different people…Once I started playing football, I started opening up to people and trusting people more. And I brought that with me to UW-Madison.”</p>

<p>15. &nbsp;Ensuring all kids opportunities for out of school sport development.</p>