by Adam Burns
Sports Editor
Mention the name "Antowain Smith" to most members of the University of Houston community and you're likely to conjure images of a juggernaut of speed and fury, bounding along the field.
One image that may not likely be associated with the former Houston Cougars running back is one of him making sure his handicap parking decal is in place before hopping out of his Mercedes, parked in a disabled spot in front of Cougar Place as it was Sunday.
The 1997 white Mercedes bearing the license plate WZT 88F turned out to be registered to Smith.
Senior geology major Erinn Banks said she saw Smith pull into a disabled spot and put up a handicap parking decal several weeks ago when she was coming back from visiting a friend at Cougar Place.
Banks said she has seen the car parked in disabled spots repeatedly since.
"It's kind of hard to miss that car," she said.
The 25-year-old Smith said he parks there because it is safer. "Right there is closest to the (UH) police station."
Cars wrongly parked in handicap parking spaces will be towed and owners will be charged $65.
Smith said he got the permit from a doctor when he injured his ankle last football season, but he said he is currently not suffering from any physical disabilities.
"A lot of people park there who aren't handicapped," Smith said.
"Everybody does not (park in disabled spots)," Cougars football coach Kim Helton said. "I don't do that and I don't condone that."
Helton added, "Antowain Smith is obviously not crippled."
But Helton said he did not think the matter was worth much discussion.
"Isn't our baseball team playing for a championship?" he said. "Why don't you do a story on that?"
The car has been registered to Smith since March 15.
Smith said he put a down payment on the car with his own money since he was expecting to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft.
Smith was drafted 23rd overall in the first round of the draft by the Buffalo Bills on April 19.