Quarterback Comes Out of USC Shadow : Prep football: Corby Smith will run the Loyola High offense in the Division I title game with his famous father on the sidelines.

Since he was 9 years old, Corby Smith has walked the football sidelines and stood in the shadow of his famous father, USC Coach Larry Smith.

Although Corby admits he and his father have a special relationship, it hasn’t always been an easy one.

“It’s tough being the son of the USC coach,” he said. “People tend to view you or expect things of you that they’d expect of my dad. I don’t mind that people know me because of my dad, but I work very hard to establish my own identity.

“It’s not my dad’s fault who he is, but the pressure can be severe.”

Although Corby, 18, has developed into a fine football and baseball player at Loyola High--an all-boys parochial school in central Los Angeles--he says he can’t escape being labeled “the son of Larry Smith.”

When Corby enrolled at Loyola in the fall of 1987, he said he often lied to classmates about who he was. If asked if his dad was Larry Smith, he would say no.

“I didn’t want kids judging me based on who my father was,” he said. “I have never liked being in the limelight. It’s something you just have to learn how to deal with. I’m my own person. I don’t want people to think I’m better than them because of who my father is.”

Most students at Loyola know who Corby Smith is but have learned to accept him for himself. He often is described as smart, mature, friendly and talented.

On the football field, Corby Smith, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior, has played on offense and defense. He is the starting quarterback and will lead Loyola into the CIF Southern Section Division I championship game against Quartz Hill High at 7:30 tonight at Anaheim Stadium. This is Loyola’s first title-game appearance since 1975.

A crowd of 20,000 is expected, including Larry Smith.

“I stand down the sideline near the end zone,” Smith said. “I sit up in the bleachers sometimes, but I just feel more comfortable on the sidelines. I don’t try to do any coaching, but I guess it’s old habit for me to be on the field.”

In Loyola’s 10-7 quarterfinal victory over Fontana two weeks ago, Corby Smith said he looked at his father every time he made a mistake or did something good. After the game, when asked how he felt about having his father on the field, Corby began to cry and said: “He means the world to me, and his presence is very important. My father is my best friend.”

That closeness may result in Corby’s continuing his athletic career at USC. The Trojans are actively recruiting him in football, and Corby has set a visitation date for Jan. 11-13. He also plans to visit Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona and New Mexico.

“Playing for my dad would be fun,” he said. “We have too good a relationship for it to be ruined by football. I’m sure he wouldn’t treat me any different than anyone else. In fact, he might be harder on me.”

Said Larry Smith: “If he decides on USC, I’m all for it. I just want to be sure he does what he wants for his reasons and not my reasons. I never really worry about Corby. He’s been making his own decisions for a long time, and they’re usually the right ones. It will end up being a great situation for him, no matter if he comes to USC or goes somewhere else.”

Corby’s mother, Cheryl, known for her boisterous support of USC and Loyola, said she already has told her husband that if Corby goes away to school she will follow him and miss USC games when there are scheduling conflicts.

Family friends, however, have no doubt that Corby will end up at USC, considering the closeness of the family. Corby’s sister, Alicia, 20, is living at home and taking classes at Glendale College. Corby considers her one of his best buddies.

Although the game has been a part of the Smith family for a long time, the ability to keep football separate at home is a big reason for that unity.

Corby said when his father was coaching at Arizona and was offered the USC job, he told the family he wouldn’t accept unless everyone consented. Although Corby and Cheryl admit they had reservations about leaving Tucson, they said they were not forced to move.

Corby has found another home at Loyola, which he said he selected for its high academic standards. He didn’t have any trouble making friends and was an instant hit on the football field.

In his first year of football, Corby started as quarterback on the freshman team. He was starting at quarterback on the sophomore team the next year when he got called up to the varsity after the top two quarterbacks were injured. Loyola was undefeated. Corby Smith started two games at quarterback and the Cubs won both. When one of the starters returned, he became the backup.

Last year, Corby was moved to defensive back and earned first-team All-Del Rey League honors. This season, he returned to quarterback and has led the Cubs to their first championship game in 15 years.

Although his statistics aren’t overly impressive--he has completed 80 of 158 passes for 1,062 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions, Corby Smith has gotten the job done. He scored the team’s only touchdown in beating Fontana and led Loyola on two scoring drives in a 10-3 victory over Canyon Country Canyon in the semifinals last week.

Corby was voted a captain by his teammates before the first game this season.

Said Loyola Coach Steve Grady: “Corby would do anything it takes to win. He’s that kind of a kid. When he makes a mistake or can’t live up to his own standards he tends to get really down on himself. But he always bounces back and puts things behind him. He’s done all we’ve asked of him and a little more.”

His father’s shadow may explain why Corby puts so much pressure on himself. He admits that he sets high goals so that he will be pleasantly surprised when he does meet them.

“I expect to win all the time, and I know I’m too much of a perfectionist on the field,” Corby said. “I don’t do it to please others. I do it to please myself. The key for me has always been to put my own pressures on myself and not worry about outside expectations. My father has taught me to be my toughest critic. If I meet my goals, then I have to be happy with the ways things have turned out.”

To reduce the pressure on his son, Larry Smith has tried not to meddle in Corby’s athletic career. He said he seldom takes Corby onto the football field for pointers and that conversations about football are kept to a minimum at home. Larry also said he never gives advice to Grady and stays as quiet as possible at Loyola games.

“I’m there for Corby as a parent and not a coach,” he said. “I think that is very important. He needs a father in me and not a coach. I’ll help him with something if he asks, but I don’t push football on him. It has to be his choice. When we’re together, we’re like any normal father and son. We talk about normal things.”