ESPN ACC Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich

	Brian A. Westerholt/Getty Images
	Wake Forest CB Alphonso Smith had eight interceptions last season, a school record.

There is an amazing event that happens every winter in the sugar cane fields of Pahokee, Fla., a spectacle that produces some of the fastest players in the country -- players like Wake Forest corner Alphonso Smith.

ESPN has covered this before -- remarkably well -- but I've never actually met one of the rabbit chasers.

Until now.

"We go out, and what they do is they burn the fields from outside in," Smith said. "All the rabbits run to the middle. All of us kids, we come out and we stand around. There's like thousands of 'em, just run out. And we start chasing them, catch as many as we can."

How many has Alphonso grabbed?

"The most in my life? At one time? Probably like eight."

Interceptions must seem like they're in slo-mo for this guy. He set a school record with eight last season, including three touchdown returns.

Smith is one of three Pahokee players on the Demon Deacons' roster, including D.J. Boldin and Antonio Wilson. All together coach Jim Grobe and his staff have 27 Floridians on the team.

"Florida in general is a great area for us," Grobe said. "You can find kids that have good academics and kids that are in championship football programs and guys that have spring ball, and all of the sport they can possibly get. There are just so many good players from Florida you have to spend time down there."

If you've never watched the video on that link before, please do. It's something every football fan will appreciate, especially if you're from the state of Florida. Bobby Bowden gives his take on it, too.