MUSKEGON – As hard as it might be for fans to believe, the West Michigan Ironmen almost had to play without Dakota Smith this season.

The 29-year-old veteran running back, who’s been with the Ironmen since Day 1 in 2016, seriously considered retiring, or at least skipping a season, for a very good reason.

Smith and his girlfriend, Stacy Kalsbeek, are expecting a baby girl in about a month, and as every parent knows, everything changes when a newborn arrives.

But the season got closer, a lot of people started urging Smith to play again, and he got a look at the schedule and noticed that the Ironmen were playing the Charlotte Thunder twice this season.

The Thunder, like the Ironmen, are very good, and the two teams played in the same league last season, but never met up in the regular season or playoffs.

Ironmen running back Dakota Smith

Smith knew he couldn’t miss the chance to finally go nose-to-nose with Charlotte, so he decided to put the pads back on and play again this year.

“At first I wasn’t going to play,” Smith said. “I have a daughter on the way, and I was thinking maybe I should take some time off and focus on that. But then I found out Charlotte was on the schedule, and they had been ducking us for a while, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I’m going to play for sure.’”

Smith and the Ironmen clashed with Charlotte two weeks ago in Muskegon in the season opener, and everyone in attendance got more than their money’s worth. The Ironmen sweated out an exciting 55-51 win that came down to the last play of the game.

“I mean, as a football player you can’t ask for anything more than that,” Smith said about the game. “I kept thinking that in the huddle. If we’re competitors, this is what we want. This is where we step up and shine.”

Neither team had to wait very long for a rematch, because the Ironmen and Charlotte will go at it again on Saturday night in North Carolina. The Ironmen boarded a plane and headed out on Friday, knowing full well that they were walking into another war, only this time on the Thunder’s turf, against a team bent on getting revenge.

“It’s one thing to beat them at home, which was awesome,” Smith said. “Now going on the road and getting that win will be awesome. I know we’ll get the win. Going on the road and capitalizing on what we started in Week 1 will put a lot of people in their place.”

Smith and longtime girlfriend Stacy Kalsbeek, who are expecting a baby girl in about a month.

As a straight-ahead bulldog of a ball carrier, Smith has been a valuable part of the Ironmen attack for years. Arena football is primarily a passing game, but a strong running game can come in handy at key moments, particularly in short-yard situations.

Smith has thrived in that role, pounding his way through would-be tacklers for lots of big yards over the years. While he hasn’t checked the record book, Ironmen Coach Nate Smith thinks his running back is probably the team’s all-time touchdown leader.

Smith’s physical running style is particularly suited for the arena game, where space is limited on the 50-yard field and there isn’t a lot of room for cutting or dancing. As Smith put it, arena football is “essentially football in a shoebox.”

But Smith had very few touches in Week 1 against Charlotte, or in last week’s easy 68-21 home victory over Central Illinois.

That wasn’t by design, according to Coach Smith. The Ironmen were simply taking what the defenses were giving them. The opponents were aware of Smith and wary of the run, so the Ironmen stuck with the passing game and scored a ton of points.

Smith is introduced to the crowd before last week’s game at Mercy Health Arena. Photo/Tonya Pardon

“When the defense gives that to us, we’re going to take it,” the coach said. “Charlotte made a comment that they were going to be focused on shutting down the run, and we knew if they did that we would be able to throw the ball.”

Coach Smith said Dakota Smith is still a very valuable asset, and his hardnose running style will come in handy soon enough.

“He likes to be physical,” said Coach Smith, who added that Dakota is also a valuable receiver out of the backfield. “He makes cuts if he needs to, but he enjoys that head-to-head type of play. The fans have nicknamed him ‘Ironhead.” He gets called that in public sometimes.”

Smith contributed to the pass-blocking effort in the first two games, creating time for quarterback Alex Carder to find receivers downfield.

“You’ve got to make the most of it when you get the ball, and pride yourself on blocking,” Smith said. “If you can’t block you’re not going to be around for very long.

“I always want the ball. But at the same time, it’s what’s best for the team. You’ve just got to wait for your time. One of my favorite sayings is if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready, so I’m always ready.

Smith battles for yardage last week against Central Illinois. Photo/Tonya Pardon

“It’s always a blessing to come back and play, especially for an organization like the Ironmen. Whether I get the ball one or two times, it’s just a blessing. I love every second I play with this organization.”

Regardless of what happens on Saturday or the rest of the season, Smith knows his life is about to take an exciting turn with the birth of his daughter, and he couldn’t be more excited.

“I have not been this excited about anything in my entire life,” he said. “I wanted a boy until we figured out it was a girl. I haven’t stopped smiling thinking about it. It’s been a dream come true. I can’t put into words how happy I am. To take this ride with Stacy, I couldn’t ask for anyone better by my side.”

Smith said he and Stacy have been together for about 10 years, and now with a little girl on the way, “she’s probably going to be my fiancé in the near future.”

Smith said Stacy is his biggest fan, and was one of many people who encouraged him to return to the Ironmen and play this season.

“She was pushing me to play, even when I wasn’t sure,” he said. “She is my backbone She is honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me.”100