When Ryan Smith steps onto the field this fall for Southern Miss women’s soccer, it will mark her return after two years sidelined by injuries — a comeback defined by hardship, patience and determination.
Smith, a senior captain for the Golden Eagles, endured back-to-back season-ending injuries that nearly derailed her playing career. The first was chronic bilateral shin splints, a condition that left her unable to run more than five minutes without numbness in her feet. The cause of the injury was elusive, frustrating both Smith and the medical staff.
“I couldn’t run for more than five minutes without my feet going numb,” Smith said. “That one was probably worse, because we couldn’t figure out what it was, and it was just hard—not knowing and not being able to do anything about it.”
Just as she was poised to return in the spring following months of rehab, Smith suffered a devastating second injury: a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus during the team’s first summer league game. This compounded the challenges she faced and forced her into another long recovery.
“It was really hard at first, because I had never been through a long injury like that,” Smith said. “The rehab was long. I had two surgeries; it was a struggle.”
The early months of rehab were particularly difficult. Smith described the routine as grueling and disheartening, with little visible progress.
“The first two, three months were terrible,” she said. “Going in there every day and not seeing a difference was really hard.”
Her knee was locked at a 90-degree angle before the second surgery, unable to bend further due to scar tissue from the initial procedure.
“It was hard because I knew there was something really wrong, but there wasn’t much I could do about it, because it literally wouldn’t move,” Smith said.
Despite the setbacks, Smith’s perseverance paid off. After nearly a year of rehabilitation and multiple surgeries, she is back on the field — swelling still occasionally flares up, but the knee feels “so much better” than before.
Her return offers a major boost to Southern Miss, which struggled to find defensive consistency in 2024. Smith’s leadership and experience on the back line are seen as crucial to stabilizing the team.
“She’s been out for two years with injury,” head coach Mohammed El-Zare said. “And now she’s our captain and leading our team. She’s done a great job. She understands what adversity looks like; she understands what being resilient is.”
Smith’s impact goes beyond just her physical presence. Her roles as captain including welcoming the new freshmen to the team, something that she worked all spring and summer to achieve.
“This summer was the best participation-wise we’ve had in a while,” Smith said. “We’ve done a great job of integrating all the freshmen into the team. In terms of like chemistry and friendship, we’re a really good group.”
The team’s renewed spirit and deeper roster this season are partly credited to the leadership of Smith and her fellow seniors, who have helped guide younger players through the challenges of adapting to collegiate soccer.
“We have accountability groups... three groups with each of the freshmen,” Smith said. “Honestly, I think that helped us a lot. They ran the fitness test two, three times. I was really proud of them. We only had one freshman not pass, which is crazy because we had 12 of them.”
But at the end of the day, Smith is just happy at the chance to play soccer again.
“Honestly, I’m just super grateful to be back,” Smith said. “I’m just excited to play and help lead this team.”
While Smith acknowledges the uncertainty of returning to peak form after such long absences, she is embracing every moment on the field.
“I’m just excited to play,” Smith said. “It’s been a long time, and I think we'll have a really good season. We’ve all worked very hard to be here… I have at least.”
For Southern Miss and its women’s soccer program, Smith’s return symbolizes more than just a physical recovery — it’s a testament to resilience, leadership and the relentless pursuit of team success.
With Smith back in the lineup, the Golden Eagles are not only stronger on defense but also more united than ever.
