L.J. Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the NFL player. For the author L.J. Smith, see L.J. Smith (author).
| L.J. Smith | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | May 13, 1980 |
| Place of birth | Highland Park, New Jersey |
| Position(s) | Tight End |
| College | Rutgers |
| NFL Draft | 2003 / Round 2/ Pick 61 |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 2003-present | Philadelphia Eagles |
John Smith III (commonly known as L.J., which stands for "Little John") is an American football tight end who currently plays for the Philadelphia Eagles. Born May 13, 1980 in Highland Park, New Jersey, USA, he played college football at Rutgers, and was the 29th selection in the 2nd round (61st overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. He was the third tight end taken in that draft.
Contents |
[edit] High school career
At Highland Park High School in Highland Park, NJ, L.J. Smith was a star in both basketball and football. As a senior football linebacker, he posted 11 sacks, 143 tackles, and five interceptions.
[edit] College Years
A four-year starter, finished second in Rutgers history among tight ends with 122 receptions for 1,458 yards and 10 TDs, surpassed only by Marco Battaglia. Earned All-Big East honors as both a junior and senior. Served as team captain as a senior, leading the Scarlet Knights with a career-high 32 receptions for 384 yards and 3 TDs.
[edit] Career
L.J. had 34 receptions, 377 yards and five TDs in 2004. His TD total was the most in a season by an Eagles TE since Chad Lewis posted six in 2001 and made an impressive diving reception in the back of the end zone for the Eagles' first TD in Super Bowl XXXIX.
He followed up 2004 with a strong 2005 campaign, hauling in 61 receptions for 682 yards and three TDs, both of which were career highs. This was despite a season-ending injury to Donovan McNabb and the resulting anemic passing game.
Smith has had a strong start in 2006, although he has not been immune from criticism resulting from a high number of dropped passes. [1],[2] Through 12 games, Smith has 41 receptions with four TDs.
[edit] Personal
L.J. was included in the 2005 Chunky Soup commercials featuring Donovan McNabb. Enjoys playing basketball and was a tremendous basketball prospect who drew interest from a number of Division I programs including Florida State and various schools from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Resides in Cherry Hill, NJ.
