Eric Smalls, who was a two-sport student-athlete and six-time conference champion at North Carolina Central University, joined the track & field coaching staff at his alma mater following his graduation in 2009.
Born July 31, 1986 in Clarksville, Tenn., Smalls was a two-time North Carolina state champion in the shot put while attending Southeast Raleigh High School. He was also a three-time all-conference and all-state honoree in football, leaving as the school's all-time leading tackler with more than 300 career takedowns. Smalls was selected as the Wake County Athlete of the Year in 2004.
He began his college career at Catawba College (Salisbury, N.C.) in 2004-2005, and transferred to NCCU in the summer of 2005.
While at NCCU, Smalls majored in business administration with a concentration in finance. He graduated from NCCU in the spring of 2009, receiving his bachelor’s degree.
Smalls began his coaching career following his completion of college in 2009, as he was added to the NCCU track and field coaching staff to specialize in the areas of shot put and discus.
During his time at NCCU, Smalls was a two-sport standout in football and track & field. His freshman year, Smalls was a part of the 2005 football CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) championship team. As a track & field athlete, Smalls captured his first individual conference title during the 2006 CIAA indoor championships, winning the shot put with a toss of 14.09 meters. At the 2006 CIAA outdoor championships, Smalls retained the conference crown in the shot put (15.15m/49-8.5) and won the conference title in the discus throw with a distance of 43.24m (141-10).
During the 2007 CIAA indoor championships, Smalls repeated his conference championship in the shot put with a toss of 15.37m (50-5.25). He doubled for the second straight year at the 2007 CIAA outdoor championships, reclaiming individual titles in the shot put (15.53m/50-11.5) and discus throw (46.50m/152-6).
Smalls entered the 2007 NCAA Division II National Championships ranked 15th in the nation in the discus throw (50.10m/164-4) and 18th in the shot put (16.35m/53-7.75). He ended up placing 18th in the discus throw (44.85m/147-2) and 12th in the shot put (16.02m/52-6.75) at the national championship event.
Smalls enjoyed a career day as a senior on May 3, 2009 at the Duke University Twilight meet, posting career-best marks of 17.76m (58-3.25) in the shot put and 53.01m (173-11) in the discus throw, both measurements considered to be NCCU records.
At the conclusion of the 2009 campaign, Smalls was presented with the LeRoy T. Walker Medallion of Honor as the Male Student-Athlete of the Year. During the 2008-09 season, he ranked fifth on the football squad with 54 total tackles and was second on the team in sacks with 5.5. In the spring, he won the discus throw competition at four meets, while also finishing second twice. In the shot put, he posted one victory, three second place performances and two third place efforts, including a runner-up finish at the prestigious Penn Relays with a toss of 17.34m (56-10.75).
