J'Mar Smith went from Dunkin' to rescuing Birmingham - ESPN

J'MAR SMITH HAD a good routine going this spring. He would rise early in his Birmingham, Alabama, apartment and then head over to the local Dunkin'.

A former USFL championship quarterback with the Birmingham Stallions who retired from the UFL in March, Smith wasn't grabbing a quick bite. He worked at Dunkin' most days starting as early as 5 a.m. — making coffee, serving doughnuts and ringing up customers — so he could clear the rest of his day to work out with a private quarterback coach and continue online classes toward a master's degree.

USFL Conference championship
Panthers at Stallions, 3 p.m., Sunday (ABC/ESPN+)
XFL Conference championship
Defenders at Battlehawks, 6 p.m., Sunday (Fox)

Less than two months later, however, Smith found himself back in a Stallions uniform to help remedy a series of quarterback injuries. With no other healthy quarterbacks on the roster, Smith entered the starting lineup, led the team to a 3-1 regular-season finish and will start Sunday as the Stallions host the Michigan Panthers (3 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN+) in the UFL playoffs.

His return to the field after 2 1/2 years was a surprise to all, given the direction his career took after guiding the Stallions to the 2022 USFL title. He missed all but one game in 2023 because of a torn ligament in his right hand and returned as a backup in 2024. Facing a similar role in 2025, his brief retirement ultimately was only a preamble to a remarkable comeback story.

«The things I was thinking and going through mentally before the season,» Smith told ESPN, «I just had to figure it out. Figure out what was best for me, what was the next step, take a step back a little bit and just let things happen. It turned out in my favor, and I'm blessed and thankful for