When teenage centre-half Ben Gibson made his senior debut in Monday's 2-1 win over Coventry, he became the 31st Academy product to feature in Middlesbrough's first team in the last six seasons.
Plenty of those have gone on to bigger and better things, with two - Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson - established as England regulars and another five - Lee Cattermole, Brad Jones, James Morrison, Ross Turnbull and David Wheater - plying their trade for teams in the top-flight.
In their wake, a new generation of Rockliffe-raised youngsters has emerged to force their way into the first team, with Smallwood, Gibson, Cameron Park, Connor Ripley and Jason Steele all having made their senior debut this season.
Teenage left-back Adam Reach, who was an unused sub on Monday, is also knocking on the door, and while financial imperatives will force Tony Mowbray to prune his squad this summer, Smallwood insists Middlesbrough's future is in safe hands.
"This club has seen a number of quality players through the Academy system, and I honestly think that the group of lads coming through are up there," said the Dormanstown-born midfielder.
"You've got Ben, who made his debut the other day, Cameron, who's coming through really well, and myself. There's also a lot of other youngsters who are trying to make their mark, and appearances like the ones me and Ben have been given will help us and the club in the future.
"I'm just 20, and there are plenty of players my age looking at the way the club is going and thinking we might be in with a good chance of playing. We keep hearing that the wage bill will have to come down, but we know we're going to have to keep working hard if we're going to be included."
While Middlesbrough, as a club, has endured some dramatic fluctuations in fortune in recent seasons, its Academy has provided an enduring success story that stretches back as far as the 2004 FA Youth Cup triumph.
The only blip came in the second half of last season and the early months of this, as former boss Gordon Strachan displayed an undisguised mistrust of both the Academy system and the players it produced.
The likes of Joe Bennett, Andrew Taylor and Seb Hines were routinely overlooked, with Strachan criticising the mindset of 'kids with it all on a plate'.
Mowbray's approach is markedly different, and with the current Boro boss enjoying a close relationship with Academy director Dave Parnaby, an opportunity for progress and development is readily available.
"The club is great for youngsters," said Smallwood. "The training and coaching is great throughout the Academy, but the biggest thing for me is that young lads get opportunities.
"You get quickly pushed in to the reserves if they think you are up to it and, if you make your mark there, you find yourself on the bench for the first team. Then, if you perform in training, you get a chance.
"There's an incredible record of players being promoted over the years, and hopefully there'll be more players coming through."
While the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea populate their Academy with promising youngsters from all over the globe, one of the most impressive things about the success of Boro's Academy is that the vast majority of its products hail from Teesside or the wider North-East.
Steve Gibson's financial investment into Rockliffe Park has clearly helped, but Mowbray is quick to praise Parnaby and head of recruitment, Ron Bone, for the ethos they have developed over the last decade or so.
"What's the key I think it's a philosophy," said the Boro boss. "I think Dave and Ron should take a lot of the credit because of the way they run their Academy.
"Coaching is what it is, but setting moral standards - respect, humility and things like that - plays a big, big part in producing footballers.
"I've always said that the seed of improvement is humility. If you're not sure how good you are, then you don't know you're a really top player and you keep working hard at your trade. You've got a really good chance of progressing with a mindset like that.
"I think those sort of qualities are drilled home in the Academy - they don't let players overstep the mark or get carried away with their talents. They tell them the right things every day, and you have a great chance of producing footballers if you do that."
n Middlesbrough fans are reminded they have until 5pm on Saturday, May 14 to purchase a 2011-12 season card at reduced prices.
There is no increase in Boro's season card prices for a sixth successive season, and adult supporters can save up to ?228 by buying a season card rather than tickets for individual games.
"Early Bird" prices start at ?95 for under-18s, ?185 for 18-21-year-olds, ?230 for over-65s and ?370 for adults.
Source: Northern Echo
Source: Northern Echo