From one chapter to the next: How Reading Shaped Wisconsin Captain Will Smith
July 20, 2026 | Men's Soccer
Senior defender found leadership through more than soccer, using reading, academics and discipline to become one of Wisconsin’s most respected captains
Most college students end their nights with one last scroll.
Will Smith ends his with another chapter.
Every evening, regardless of whether Wisconsin men’s soccer has just returned from a road trip or wrapped up a grueling training session, Smith puts his phone down, picks up a book and reads before going to sleep. It is a routine as dependable as his morning alarm and one that has become part of who he is.
His fellow captain and roommate Ellis Jones remembers being caught off guard almost immediately.
“Day one of him living with me, probably about eight, nine o'clock, he goes ‘Alright lads, I’m going to bed,’” Jones said with a laugh. “I’m like ‘What? It’s the middle of summer, all of the lads are here, and you're going to bed.’”
Jones soon learned that Smith wasn’t calling it a night because he was tired.
He was going to read.
That same routine has quietly shaped far more than Smith’s evenings. It has quietly influenced nearly every part of his college career.
Hours earlier, however, that same reader is almost impossible to miss.
Entering his senior season, Smith returns as one of Wisconsin’s most experienced defenders and a team captain. During training, his voice carries across the field as he organizes teammates, directs the back line and demands accountability.
To teammates, he is one of the loudest voices on the field.
Away from soccer, he’s one of the most intentional.
That contrast helps explain how Smith has quietly grown from a freshman who rarely saw the field into one of the leaders of Wisconsin men’s soccer.
Building Habits in Madison
Smith’s routine didn’t begin in Madison.
He grew up in Whitefish Bay as a fourth-generation Badger, surrounded by stories of the university long before he wore Wisconsin across his chest. When Smith finally arrived in Madison as a freshman, he was continuing a family tradition while beginning to build some of his own.
One of the habits that would eventually define Smith’s college career started with a book.
Books had been a part of Smith’s life, thanks largely to his mom. But it wasn’t until he arrived in Madison that reading became a daily ritual.
“His freshman year he picked it up because it was a good escape,” His mom, Katie Smith, said. “Being an athlete while you’re studying can be a lot, and you need a break.”
Since then, she’s continued to send Will the books she finishes, a small tradition that has kept them connected even while he’s away in Madison.
As the demands of Division I soccer increased, so did his appreciation for slowing down.
Today, whenever he catches himself endlessly scrolling through his phone, Smith makes a conscious decision to put it away and read instead. The choice has become almost automatic—a small decision repeated day after day.
What began as an escape eventually became a discipline.
“I usually read every day, at least 30 minutes, right before I go to bed,” Smith said. “If I catch myself doing nothing, scrolling on my phone, I’ll go grab my book.”
Reading isn’t simply a hobby anymore. It’s how Smith intentionally slows down before starting over the next day.
It’s part of a routine.
And routines, he has learned, have a way of shaping everything else.
Earning Every Minute
That habit of focusing on what he could control would become especially important when his soccer career reached a crossroads.
Although Wisconsin had always been part of his family’s story, Smith never expected it to become his own. Playing Big Ten soccer wasn’t something he assumed would happen—it became possible only after head coach Neil Jones reached out.
Once Wisconsin offered, the decision came quickly.
“When I got the offer, it was a much easier decision than I was expecting,” Smith said. “I called them back within three weeks…it’s in my blood.”
Once he arrived in Madison, Smith knew there was still plenty to prove.
That proving didn’t happen overnight.
Smith saw little game action as a freshman. While his role on the field developed slowly, his routine away from it became increasingly important.
Practice.
Class.
Read.
Repeat.
His academic drive became just as important as his athletic development. Whether it was preparing for exams, working with classmates or ending every day with a book, Smith focused on the parts of college he could control.
Smith approached academics with the same consistency he brought to training.
“I think you learn a lot about yourself through academics,” he said. “To will yourself to get [to class] after a long day…it helps with your mental fortitude.”
Jones has watched that mindset extend far beyond the classroom.
“His work ethic—he’s always doing something to improve himself,” Jones said. “He’s dedicated to getting a good, well-rounded education.”
None of those routines guaranteed playing time.
But together, they prepared Smith for the opportunity when it finally arrived.
Leading Beyond the Field
The player who once wondered whether he could compete in the Big Ten is now one of the voices defining Wisconsin men’s soccer.
Today, Smith enters his senior season as a returning starter and one of Wisconsin’s captains, roles his teammates believe were earned long before they were awarded. His leadership isn’t measured only by minutes played or matches started—it’s reflected in the daily habits teammates have watched him build over four years.
“He is definitely more of a lead by example type of person,” Jones said. “If something needs doing, Will's already done it.”
Jones points to the weight room as much as the soccer field. Smith’s commitment to fitness often pushes teammates to match his standard, especially during the demanding grind of a Big Ten season.
The same habits that earned Smith the respect of his teammates also earned recognition beyond the soccer field.
Smith’s commitment to academics earned him Wisconsin’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year award, and he now serves on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, representing athletes across campus.
Smith believes those experiences have made him a better captain.
“I would say academics have helped my leadership because it's allowed me to become more personable, understand different backgrounds, why people may be struggling, why people may be excelling,” he said.
That leadership doesn’t end when practice does.
Last Thanksgiving, Smith invited teammates who didn’t have a place to spend the holiday home with him in Whitefish Bay. For his mom, it was another example of the person her son had become. It wasn’t organized by the coaching staff or planned as a team event. It was simply Smith making sure no teammate spent the holiday alone.
“We had these random people, and it was great and wonderful,” she said with a laugh. “That’s just a good summation of who he is. Like, ‘Hey, you don’t have a place to go? Come with me.’”
Jones sees that same generosity in the locker room every day.
“He’s dedicated so much time and effort into becoming a better player, becoming a better person, and he’s reaping the rewards of that now,” Jones said. “That is everything you want in a captain.”
A lot has changed since Smith first arrived in Madison. The freshman fighting for minutes is now a captain. The player who once wondered whether he could compete in the Big Ten now leads one of its programs. Awards have followed, along with the respect of teammates and coaches.
One thing, however, has remained the same.
Tonight, after another practice, another workout and another day closer to his final season in a Wisconsin uniform, Smith will do what he has done countless nights before.
He’ll put away his phone.
He’ll open a book.
And before tomorrow begins, he’ll read another chapter.
