21-year-old bull rider chases dream to ride in the Houston Rodeo despite his injury history

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- On a sunny Friday morning at Bruno's Triangle Seven Arena in northeast Houston, A.J. Smith grabs his vest, chaps, spurs, and helmet, then heads towards his buddy.

His buddy isn't a person. It's a 2,000 pound bull.

"You get in that bucking chute, (it's) life or death," Smith said. "One thing that bull can do is sling you in front, knock you out. Two things he can do is take you in the dirt, stomp you, and run you over."

It's the risk the 21-year-old Acres Homes native has anxiously suited up for and willingly faced since he was 15 years old. As a professional bull rider, he has traveled to rodeos around the country, competing in bull riding events.

It hasn't always been easy. His passion for bull riding has led to numerous injuries, one that almost cost him his life.

Before he ever got on a bull, he broke his pelvis and hip while breaking a horse. As a bull rider, he has broken fingers, torn his ACL, a broken kneecap, and broke his back.

"I broke my back and sprung something in my neck and, like, about three weeks, I was back bull riding," Smith said.

The most severe injury resulted in a trip to the hospital via Life Flight after a bull stepped on his jaw.

"(I was) knocked out four times," he said. "I died and came back."

His mother is determined to support him through injuries and whatever the competition brings.

"He's my good kid and I'm going to put that money behind my son to keep him out of trouble because he could be dead. He could be anywhere," Catherine Austin said. "He has friends or homeboys. They died or they're in jail."

Smith admits that he's had to dodge some doubters who told him and his mother that they felt he'd never be good at his sport.

He wants to prove them wrong and reach his ultimate goal of competing in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

"I don't smoke, I don't drink, I barely go to clubs," Smith said. "All I worry about is bull riding. This is something that I like to do. I want to put my passion into it and I want to show everybody that it is a real Black cowboy that can ride bulls and can make it to the NFR and Houston Rodeo."

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