Smith with the Lions in 2009 |
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| Free Agent | |
| Fullback | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth: March 12, 1978 | |
| Place of birth: West Covina, California | |
| Height: 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | Weight: 246 lb (112 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College: Arizona State | |
| NFL Draft: 2000 / Round: 4 / Pick: 96 | |
| Debuted in 2000 for the New Orleans Saints | |
| Career history | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Stats at NFL.com | |
Terrelle Vernon Smith (born March 12, 1978 in West Covina, California) is an American football fullback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State.
Smith has also played for the Cleveland Browns, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions.
Smith's brother, Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith, is a safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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At Arizona State, Smith served as a blocking back for J.R. Redmond after moving to fullback from the linebacker position. He had twenty-two carries for 129 yards (5.7 yards-per-carry average) with one touchdown, and added eleven receptions for 95 yards.
Smith was drafted 96th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints. He signed a four-year, $1.7 million contract with the Saints. As a rookie he appeared in fourteen games, including nine starts. He assumed the starting fullback role after being drafted and became one of the top blocking fullbacks in the league. He posted twenty-nine rushes for 131 yards and twelve receptions for 65 yards. He played all sixteen regular season games for the Saints during the 2002 season for the first time in his career, and helped bolster Deuce McAllister's rushing totals in 2003 thanks to his blocking.
Smith was signed by the Cleveland Browns to a three-year $3.2 million contract as an unrestricted free agent on March 11, 2004 and played in all sixteen games of the 2004 season, including nine starts. He blocked for Lee Suggs' career-high 744-yard season. Smith went on to play in all sixteen games of the 2005 season (starting fifteen) and helped Reuben Droughns achieve the Browns' first thousand-yard season since the mid-1980s. On March 14, 2007, the Browns announced the release of Smith.
On March 23, 2007, he signed a two-year $1.8 million deal with the Cardinals. In 2007 he started 10 of 16 games and recorded the most receiving yards since his rookie season in 2000. In 2008 he was again the starting fullback and his role increased during the Cardinal Super Bowl run, throwing key blocks during the playoffs. Said Smith about his role, "I'm a role player and my role is to lead the way and let my back run through the hole it is not a statistics position . . . but in the end, if you can't block, you can't play the position." [1]
Smith was an unrestricted free agent after the 2008 season and signed with the Detroit Lions on April 16, 2009.[2] He was waived on December 17.