Biography
2018
• First team All-American by AP, ESPN, SI.com, CollegeFootballNews.com and a second team choice by Walter Camp, PFF and the FWAA.
• First two-time first team All-American in school history.
• Won the MAC’s Vern Smith Leadership Award (MVP) and repeated as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
• Finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award.
• Relentless rush defensive end made 61 total tackles, 43 solo in 2018.
• Broke his own NIU record for sacks in a season with two in the MAC Championship game to give him 15 on the year.
• Tied his career high with 10 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and was named Defensive MVP.
• Ranks third all-time at NIU in sacks and is second in tackles for loss.
• At Western Michigan, collected a career high four quarterback sacks, five tackles for loss, seven solo stops and an 85-yard fumble return (2nd longest in NIU history) for a touchdown. Earned third MAC West Player of the Week honor.
• Scored his fourth career touchdown, including three on fumble returns.
• Blocked a pair of punts – versus Central Michigan and Toledo – and scooped up the block versus Toledo and scored on a 27-yard return to turn a 10-9 NIU lead into a 17-9 advantage just before halftime. Earned MAC West Specialist of the Week honors with that play.
• Also forced a fumble, broke up a pass, had a sack and a TFL vs. the Rockets.
• Has at least one TFL in 16 of NIU’s last 18 games,
• Made at least one tackle for loss in 12 of 14 games and had sacks in nine games as a senior.
• Earned MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors vs. Ohio with two sacks, 2.5 tackles for loss, and two fumble recoveries, including one on a strip sack and caused fumble.
• Has sacked the QB and caused a fumble four times.
• Made four tackles, two for loss, with a sack at Eastern Michigan.
• Two of his four tackles at Florida State were for loss, and forced a fumble on a sack.
• MAC West Defensive Player of the Week with eight tackles, 4.5 for loss, and two sacks vs. Utah.
• Recorded five tackles at Iowa with a forced fumble and a sack.
• Helped lead the NIU defense to a No. 1 national ranking in quarterback sacks and sacks/game, and Huskies are sixth in tackles for loss/game.
2017
• NIU’s second all-time Consensus All-American was named to 11 different All-America teams, was a finalist for the Ted Hendricks Award and was named MAC Defensive Player of the Year.
• Broke the NIU records for sacks and tackles for loss in a season and scored twice on fumble returns.
• Led the nation in tackles for loss (2.3/game), ranked third in sacks (1.08/game) and fourth in fumbles recovered and forced.
• Nearly half (29.5) of his 63 total tackles on the season went for loss.
• Wrecked havoc at Nebraska (9-16) with 3.5 TFLs, two sacks, a pass break-up and six tackles.
• Tallied five tackles for minus 23 yards, a sack and six stops versus Boston College (9-1).
• Made 5.5 tackles for loss and scored his second fumble return TD of 2017 versus Western Michigan (11-15) with a 58-yard score.
• Earned MAC West Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time after previously earning the honor versus Eastern Michigan (10-26) and Kent State (10-7).
• Registered at least one TFL in 12 of 13 NIU games.
• Made three TFLs vs. Eastern Michigan with a sack, six stops.
• Scored on a strip, steal and 16-yard score at Bowling Green (10-21).
• Forced three fumbles (vs. EIU, Buffalo, BG).
• Made a career-high 10 stops to go with four TFLs and three sacks vs. Kent State.
2016
• Made 15 tackles on the season with six solo tackles, nine assists, a sack and two tackles for a loss.
• Recorded his only sack of the season at Western Michigan (10-8) where he also got an assisted tackle.
• Made a season-high three tackles, including two solo stops, versus San Diego State (9-17).
• Appeared in all 12 games as a backup defensive end.
2015
• Redshirted.
High School
• Talented playmaker on both sides of the ball at Francis Howell.
• As a senior, tallied 2,456 all-purpose yards with more than 2,000 rushing yards and 32 total touchdowns at tailback.
• Helped Howell go 11-1 and advance to the Missouri 6A state semifinals in 2014.
• Named 2014 St. Louis Dispatch All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year.
• Also named Large School Player of the Year in 2014 by local television station KSDK.
• As a junior, gained 1,682 all-purpose yards and scored 18 times.
• Advanced to the second round of the Missouri state playoffs in 2013.
• Two-time All-Gateway South Conference performer.
Personal
• Born March 22, 1996, in Plano, Texas.
• Son of Chuck and Sandy Smith.
• His father, Chuck, played football at Middle Tennessee State.
• His mother, Sandy, played volleyball at Missouri State.
• Intends to major in business.
Smith's Single Game Career Highs
Tackles: 10, vs. Kent State, 10-7-17; vs. Buffalo (MACC), 11-30-18
Tackles for Loss: 5.5, vs. Western Michigan, 11-15-17
Sacks: 4.0, vs. Western Michigan, 11-20-18
Forced Fumbles: 1 (7x), last vs. Toledo, 11-7-18
Fumble Recoveries: 2, vs. Ohio, 10-13-18
Touchdowns: 1 (4x), last vs. Western Michigan, 11-20-18
Long Touchdown: 85 yard fumble return vs. Western Michigan, 11/20/18
