By its very nature, football is a grueling game. Even after a win, guys walk off the field bruised and tired.

That's why football players devote hours to the weight room and have their diets poured over by specialists. But there are things that take priority over football, things like God.

For Penn State receiver Gerald Smith, football won't be the only thing on his mind for the next three Saturdays. He'll probably notice that growling in his stomach too.

Since Wednesday, Smith has been fasting as part of his observance of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month. During Ramadan, Muslims don't eat from sunrise to sunset. For Smith, this means waking up at 5:30 in the morning to eat and deliver his daily prayers.

Despite the dietary restrictions, Smith believes he won't have to cut back on his intensity tomorrow against Virginia.

"I can definitely do it," Smith said. "My endurance is up, I'm comfortable as far the game speed, playing in the game."

However, should Smith, who now plays a key role in the Nittany Lions offense, find himself unable to play late in the game, he thinks Penn State's receiving corps is deep enough that the team will be able to adjust.

"We have enough great receivers that can step in at any time so it's really not an issue of me pacing myself during the game," Smith said. "I just play hard and if I have to sit out a couple plays we have somebody else that can step in and do the job."

During Ramadan, game days aren't the only worry for Smith. Penn State's coaches are watching out for Smith to make sure he doesn't overextend himself, something he said he's done on past occasions.

"We have to be careful that we take into consideration his concentration and his ability to do certain things in practice as it relates to what he has to do with his religion," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said.

While Smith is the team's most prominent Muslim, he doesn't go about promoting religion among his teammates. If he can, he'll answer teammates questions but Smith readily admits he doesn't know everything about Islam, saying he'd rather be a football player who happens to be Muslim than The Muslim Football player.

By now, he's used to the questions. Smith, who was not raised in any particular faith but was exposed to Christianity, officially converted when he was 13. His decision was influenced by his father, Jambel Salma, and godfather, Omar Salama, who introduced him into the concepts.

However, it was the camaraderie of the faith that made him really pay attention to Islam's doctrines.

Unfortunately for Smith, that camaraderie has been lacking at Penn State. The Lions' grueling schedule dominates his time, something that tests Smith on a regular basis. One of his biggest challenges is finding time for his daily prayers.

"It's pretty hard," Smith said. "Most of the time I try to get up early and get in my prayers, but I don't get a chance all the time to do them and it's kind of tough because it's something I want to work on."

Smith's roommate of two years, receiver Bryant Johnson has seen what Smith goes through for his faith. Despite the difficulties Smith endures during Ramadan, Johnson thinks it makes him a better player.

"It's very tough," Johnson said. "He wakes up early in the morning before the sun comes up and eats a big breakfast. When he goes through this he seems to play a little better."

For Smith, Ramadan isn't just about playing better, it's about living better.

"I'm in a learning stage," Smith said. "There's things I don't do that I'm going to have to do, I'm not perfect, nobody's perfect, there's always room for improvement and this is what the holy month is for ... improving yourself, overall as a person."