Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andre Smith has spent the last two years trying to forget the last time he faced Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake.

“I didn’t do too well in that one,” Smith said, referring to a game the Bengals lost 22-14 at Paul Brown Stadium.

“It was growing pains,” he continued. “I lived and I learned. I’m not that guy I was then. Night and day.”

Smith was a second-year player who was coming off an injury and making his third career start.

Meanwhile Wake, an outside linebacker at the time, was in the midst of a 14.5-sack season that would result in a trip to the Pro Bowl.

Wake enters Sunday’s game against Smith and the Bengals fresh off a 4.5-sack performance in Arizona.

“I just see it as an opportunity to go out there and compete against a phenomenal guy,” Smith said.

While Wake has emerged as one of the top pass rushers in the league, he took a circuitous route to NFL stardom.

After going undrafted out of Penn State in 2005, he signed a free-agent contract with the New York Giants but was cut before training camp, prompting him to enter the corporate world as a mortgage broker.

He resumed his football career in 2007 with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League and eventually signed with Miami in 2009. In 40 games with the Dolphins, he has logged 32.5 sacks, already a franchise record through four seasons and he still has 12 games to go.

The 4.5 sacks Wake had Sunday in Arizona were his first of the year, but Dolphins coach Joe Philbin said he’s been a force all year.

“In the first three weeks he had a number of quarterback hurries, knockdowns and hits,” Philbin said. “Obviously he didn’t have any sacks, but then he had a breakout game. I’m not surprised that he had that kind of production. The guy is just a worker. He’s a football player. He shows up every day and gives you great effort on the practice field and that translates to the game field.”

Smith has lined up against quality defensive ends the last two years, but Wake will be one of the best he’s seen.

“He will be up to the challenge,” Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden said. “I know he’ll be ready for it. It’s a big year for him. He knows it. I think people last year started to realize he’s the guy we drafted (sixth overall in 2009).”

Smith said his goal isn’t to limit Wake. It’s to shut him down.

“If you go in with the mindset ‘he’s going to get his,’ you’ve already lost,” Smith said. “As an offensive lineman, you have to have a certain demeanor. I have to make sure I handle my business.”