Will Smith (linebacker, born 1992)
| No. 37 Hamilton Tiger-Cats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | January 13, 1992 | ||
| Place of birth: | Riverside, California | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Weight: |
231 lb (105 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Riverside (CA) Notre Dame | ||
| College: | Texas Tech | ||
| NFL Draft: | 2014 / Round: 7 / Pick: 238 | ||
| Career history | |||
| |||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
| Roster status: | Active | ||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
| |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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William Lamont "Will" Smith (born January 13, 1992) is an American football linebacker for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Texas Tech University.
Early years
Smith attended Notre Dame High School, where he played football, basketball and ran track. He received league MVP and All-county honors in both football and basketball.
College career
He began his college career playing football at the NCAA Division II level at Northwood University in 2010 as a freshman. Smith would later transfer to Riverside City College in his hometown, helping the team to a perfect 11-0 record as a sophomore. At the end of the year, he announced his intention to transfer to NCAA Division I Texas Tech University in 2012.
In his initial season at Texas Tech, he played in all 13 games and logged 55 tackles with 34 solo tackles. His performance would earn him a third-team All-Big 12 selection by Phil Steele.[1]
Smith's senior season in 2013 earned him several accolades. He posted 120 tackles (86 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and a fumble return for a touchdown. His mark of 120 tackles was the most by a Red Raider since the NCAA record setting Lawrence Flugence's in 2002 at 193.
For his performances throughout the season, Smith earned Holiday Bowl defensive MVP honors, as well as first-team All-Big 12 Conference selections by the Associated Press and the Big 12 Broadcasters.[2]
Pre-draft
| Ht | Wt | 40-yd dash | 10-yd split | 20-yd split | 20-ss | 3-cone | Vert | Broad | BP | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in | 0 lb | 4.59 s | 1.62 s | 2.73 s | 4.53 s | 7.04 s | 37 1/2 in | 9 ft 5 in | 17 reps | ||||||||||
| All values from Texas Tech Pro Day | |||||||||||||||||||
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys (first stint)
Smith was selected in the seventh round (238th overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys.[3] He was waived on August 29 and signed to the practice squad. He was released to make room for defensive end Michael Sam on September 3.[4]
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL)
On October 10, 2014, he was signed by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League to their practice roster.[5] He was released on October 29 after playing in 2 games, so he could re-join the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas Cowboys (second stint)
Smith was re-signed to the practice squad on October 29, 2014. On May 14, 2015, he was cut after rookie minicamp, to make room for tryout linebacker Donnie Baggs. He was re-signed on August 1, taking the roster spot created by the holdout of defensive end Jeremy Mincey. He was released on August 25 with a groin injury.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats (CFL)
On May 28, 2016, he was signed by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.
References
- ↑ Steele, Phil. "Phil Steele's Postseason All-Big 12 Team" (PDF). Phil Steele. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "2013 AP All-Big 12 Team". Associated Press. 9 December 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "Cowboys pick Tech linebacker Will Smith in 7th round of NFL Draft". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 10 May 2014.
- ↑ "DE Michael Sam Joins The Cowboys' Practice Squad". DallasCowboys.com. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
- ↑ "Bombers Add Linebacker to Practice Roster". Retrieved 7 August 2016.