Darryl Smith

There are times when too much money can be more dangerous than not enough.

There's more to Darryl Smith than meets the eye. He's a GCU soccer academy coach and mentor to many young lads whose football has improved and whose perspective on life has changed for the better too.

Back in 2003, he was regarded as one of the most talented soccer players in South Africa. He represented his country at both under 21 and under 23 levels. He then signed for one of the top clubs and admits that he was simply earning too much money and he didn't know how to manage it. Poor decision-making and being in the wrong company left him at the mercy of drugs. Within 18 months he was drug dependent and his promising soccer career all but over.

Thankfully the story doesn't end there. In the next two years he was introduced to the Christian faith and made rapid progress in overcoming his addiction. At this point he was invited to help at the soccer academy and has worked his way to head coach. He's desperate for his young charges to avoid the difficulties that he experienced, encouraging them to find alternatives to a life of drugs and violence.