Andre Smith (offensive tackle)

Andre Smith

Smith in 2013
No. 71  Cincinnati Bengals
Position: Offensive tackle
Personal information
Date of birth: January 25, 1987
Place of birth: Birmingham, Alabama
Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight: 335 lb (152 kg)
Career information
High school: Birmingham (AL) Huffman
College: Alabama
NFL draft: 2009 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6
Career history
Roster status: Active
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics as of 2014
Games played: 66
Games started: 57
Stats at NFL.com

Andre Dewayne Smith, Jr. (born January 25, 1987) is an American football offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Alabama, and was recognized as a unanimous All-American. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Early years

Smith was born in Birmingham, Alabama. He attended Huffman High School in Birmingham, where he played football and competed in track. In football, he was a three-year starter, a two-time All-State selection, and Class 6A Lineman of the Year in 2005. After registering 88 pancake blocks his senior season, Smith was selected "Mr. Football" by the Alabama Sports Writers Association, becoming the only offensive lineman to ever win the honor in the association's 23-year history. Smith earned High School All-American honors by USA Today and was selected to play in the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. He was also one of four finalists for the 2005 Walter Payton Trophy, given to the nation’s most athletic high school football player.

In track and field, Smith competed in the throwing events, registering top-throws of 14.94 meters in the shot put and 39.62 meters in the discus throw.[1]

Regarded as a five-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com,[2][3] Smith was listed as the No. 1 offensive lineman by both recruiting services.[4][5] Rivals described him as "one of the most dominant offensive line prospects in the last 10 years,"[6] and—after reevaluating their 2005–'09 rankings in February 2009—considered him the best offensive tackle prospect of that period.[7] Mike Farrell of The Sporting News called Smith "the best offensive line prospect since Orlando Pace."[8]

College career

Smith attended the University of Alabama beginning in 2006, he played for coach Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide football team from 2007 to 2008. In his initial year at Alabama, he started all 13 games at left tackle, becoming only the fourth true freshman offensive lineman to start for the Crimson Tide.[9] Smith played at least 65 snaps in 10 of 13 games and played more than 70 snaps five times, while leading the Crimson Tide with 62 pancake blocks. He also scored a touchdown off of a lateral in the 34–31 Independence Bowl loss against Oklahoma State.[10] Smith earned Freshman All-American honors by the Football Writers Association of America.[11]

In 2007, Smith was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, after starting every game at the left tackle position.[12] He was named Alabama Co-Player of the Week four times during the season.[12]

Smith was recognized as a unanimous All-American in 2008, as well as the 2008 Outland Trophy winner. He was also considered to be one of the best underclassmen for the 2009 NFL Draft.[13][14] He was also a firs-team All-SEC selection and shared the league's Jacobs Blocking Trophy with Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs.[15] He led the team with 103 key knockdowns and added seven blocks downfield. He was penalized just twice and he allowed just one QB sack and six pressures on 334 pass plays.[12]

On December 29, 2008, Smith was suspended from playing in the 2009 Sugar Bowl,[16]—a game Alabama lost 31–17 to the Utah Utes—, reportedly because he dealt with an agent.[17] A few days later, Smith declared himself eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, and at the time he was considered a lock to be a Top 5 pick.[18]

College awards and honors

Professional career

2009 NFL Draft

Widely believed to be the best run-blocking tackle in the 2009 NFL draft, Smith drew comparisons to Jason Peters.[34] At the 2009 NFL Combine, Smith weighed 332 pounds.[35] He also looked out of shape as he ran 40 yards shirtless, clocking at a slow 5.28, and had a disappointing 19 repetitions on the bench with 225 pounds.[36]

He decided to leave the combine early in order to prepare for Alabama's Pro Day on March 11, 2009. Smith, however, did not inform his group leader at the combine before he left, and later apologized, stating: "If I had the chance to do it all over, I wouldn't have handled it the way I did. I should have told my group leader that I was leaving, and I didn't. I didn't mean to ruffle any feathers or step on any toes. I didn't mean to grandstand anyone at the combine. That was not my intention at all, and I apologize for my mistake." Smith also admitted that he wasn't prepared or in shape.[17][37]

His Pro Day performance at Alabama on March 11, 2009, was equally unimpressive, although his weight was down to 325 pounds. It was expected that his poor performances at the Combine and at Pro Day would strongly impact his draft positioning.[38][39] Initially thought of as the best offensive tackle in the draft and a possible No. 1 pick,[40][41] Smith was moved to third among offensive tackles (commonly behind Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe) after the combine.[36][42]

Smith was eventually drafted sixth overall by the Cincinnati Bengals.[43] He was the first Alabama offensive lineman selected in the first round of an NFL Draft since Chris Samuels in 2000.

Pre-draft measurables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BPWonderlic
6 ft 4 in 332 lb 5.28 s 1.79 s 3.01 s 4.93 s 7.88 s 28½ in 7 ft 10 in 19 reps17
Height, weight, and Wonderlic from NFL Combine, all others from Alabama Pro Day[44]

Cincinnati Bengals

With run-blocking being his premier quality, Smith was projected to start at right tackle for the Bengals.[45][46] However, after a 30-day contract impasse, Smith missed all of training camp and three preseason games, before eventually signing his contract on August 30, 2009.[47] It is believed that Smith was looking for a five-year, $40 million deal,[48] but was signed to a four-year contract with only $21 million guaranteed. The Bengals also have an option in his contract after the 2010 season to make it a six-year, $42 million agreement.[49] Just days after ending his holdout, Smith fractured his left foot during a non-contact drill at training camp. On December 13, 2009, Smith was credited with his first official start when usual starting right tackle Dennis Roland lined up as the extra tight end in the Bengals unbalanced line. That season Smith played in six games.

On November 13, 2010, the Bengals placed Smith on injured reserve with a broken foot,[50] ending his season after playing in seven of the eight regular season games to that date.

In the 2011 NFL pre-season, it was reported that he was working out and getting fully fit. It was also reported that in the pre-season, he spoke with the Bengals starting left tackle, Andrew Whitworth, about how "it's my time to step up." The 2011 season became Smith's breakout year, and he became the starting right tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals.

On April 26, 2013, Smith re-signed with the Bengals. It was reported by NFL.com's Ian Rapoport that Smith agreed to a three-year, $18 million contract during the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.[51]

Personal

Smith is the son of Andre, Sr. and Nesa Smith.[52] His younger brother, Christian Smith, formerly played wide receiver and cornerback at Hampton University.[53] He is also a cousin of Dominic Lee, a former defensive lineman for the Alabama Crimson Tide [54] and Desmond Jennings, outfielder of the Tampa Bay Rays.[55]

On January 18, 2013, Smith was arrested after allegedly bringing a gun into the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport.[56]

References

  1. ↑ https://www.trackingfootball.com/players/andre-smith-2322/
  2. ↑ "Andre Smith Recruiting Profile". Rivals.com.
  3. ↑ "Andre Smith Recruiting Profile". Scout.com.
  4. ↑ "Offensive guards 2006". Rivals.com. January 30, 2006.
  5. ↑ "Offensive linemen ranking 2006". Scout.com.
  6. ↑ "The Rivals100 2006". Rivals.com. April 22, 2006.
  7. ↑ Burton, Bobby (February 1, 2009). "Past vs. Present: Look back at the best". Rivals.com.
  8. ↑ Farrell, Mike (August 31, 2006). "Freshmen who will make an impact this season". Sporting News.
  9. ↑ "Notebooking the SEC Western Division". The Sporting News. August 30, 2006.
  10. ↑ "Ricks' field goal with 8.9 seconds left lifts Oklahoma State". Associated Press (ESPN). 2006-12-28. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  11. ↑ Griffith, Mike (January 8, 2007). "Scripps/FWAA Freshman All-America Team". FWAA.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "Player Bio: Andre Smith". University of Alabama Athletics. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  13. ↑ "2009 NFL Draft: Offensive Tackle Rankings". WalterFootball.com. 2008-11-01. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  14. ↑ McShay, Todd (2008-09-03). "Linemen, linebackers dominate Scouts Inc.'s top 32 senior prospects". Scouts Inc. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  15. ↑ "Reaching His Goals, Alabama's Smith Already Distinguished SEC Lineman". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. 2007-12-14. pp. B7.
  16. ↑ CBSSports.com wire reports (2008-12-29). "Alabama suspends All-American Smith for Sugar Bowl". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2008-12-29.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 "Tackle prospect Andre Smith bails on NFL Combine". Sporting News. 2009-02-21. Archived from the original on 1 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  18. ↑ Rapoport, Ian R. (2009-01-03). "Alabama left tackle Andre Smith declares for the NFL Draft". Birmingham News.
  19. ↑ "2006 SEC Football All-Freshman Team Announced". SECSports.com. 2006-12-07. Archived from the original on December 15, 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  20. ↑ "2007 All-SEC Football Team Announced". SECSports.com. 2007-12-04. Archived from the original on January 6, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  21. ↑ "Andre Smith Recognized as A Playboy All-American". University of Alabama Athletics. 2008-06-14. Archived from the original on 5 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  22. ↑ "Tide's Andre Smith wins Outland Trophy". Mobile Press-Register. 2008-12-12. Archived from the original on 22 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  23. ↑ "2008 AP All-SEC Football Team Announced". SECSports.com. 2008-12-08. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  24. ↑ Rapoport, Ian (2008-12-17). "Alabama football team places three on AP All-America first team, the most of any school". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  25. ↑ "Four Tide players named AFCA All-Americans". The Tuscaloosa News. 2008-12-04. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  26. ↑ "CBSSports.com 2008 All-America Team". CBS. 2008. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  27. ↑ Maisel, Ivan (2008). "2008 All-America Team". ESPN. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  28. ↑ "Smith, Cody named FWAA All-Americans". The Tuscaloosa News. 2008-12-13. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  29. ↑ Nawrocki, Nolan (2008-12-22). "Pro Football Weekly's 2008 All-America team". Pro Football Weekly. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  30. ↑ "Rivals.com 2008 All-America Teams". Rivals.com. 2008-12-10. Archived from the original on 16 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  31. ↑ "Sporting News honors Saban, four Tide players". The Tuscaloosa News. 2008-12-17. Archived from the original on 13 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  32. ↑ "SI.com's 2008 All-Americans". Sports Illustrated. 2008-12-16. Archived from the original on 14 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  33. ↑ "2008 Walter Camp All-American Team Announced". Walter Camp Football Foundation. 2008-12-11. Archived from the original on 18 December 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
  34. ↑ "Pro Football War Room: Amdre Smith". SportingNews.com. April 25, 2009.
  35. ↑ "Alabama's Smith sorry after going AWOL from combine". USA Today. 2009-02-21. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Cooney, Frank (March 29, 2009). "Peak performers: O-line likely to produce bumper draft class again". USA Today.
  37. ↑ Farmer, Sam (2009-02-22). "Tackle Andre Smith leaves without notice". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  38. ↑ Lande, Ross (2009-03-11). "Alabama OT Smith bombs in pro day workout". Sporting News. Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  39. ↑ Trotter, Jim (2009-03-23). "Andre Smith Is A Riddle". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on 28 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-25.
  40. ↑ Pauline, Tony (October 28, 2008). "Halfway mark: Six months 'til draft, how the top 45 prospects stack up". Sports Illustrated.
  41. ↑ Pauline, Tony (December 18, 2008). "Underclassmen will upgrade draft talent pool". Sports Illustrated.
  42. ↑ Pompei, Dan (April 12, 2009). "NFL Draft 2009: Dan Pompei's top offensive tackles". Chicago Tribune.
  43. ↑ Kay, Joe (2009-04-25). "Bengals take OT Andre Smith in first round". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  44. ↑ Nawrocki, Nolan (April 21, 2009). "The Way We Hear It — draft edition". Pro Football Weekly website. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  45. ↑ "Bengals' top pick Andre Smith misses workout", The Sporting News, July 31, 2009
  46. ↑ Tucker, Ross (August 28, 2009), "Cincinnati Bengals are right not to overpay Andre Smith", Sports Illustrated
  47. ↑ Reedy, Joe (August 30, 2009). "Smith finally signs with Bengals". Cincinnati Enquirer.
  48. ↑ Reedy, Joe (August 12, 2009). "Smith's agent sends proposal to Bengals". Cincinnati Enquirer.
  49. ↑ Walker, James (August 30, 2009). "Cincinnati Bengals finally sign holdout top pick Andre Smith". ESPN.com.
  50. ↑ http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/11/13/bengals-officially-end-andre-smiths-season/
  51. ↑ Sessler, Marc (April 26, 2013). "Andre Smith signs contract with Cincinnati Bengals". NFL.com. Retrieved April 27, 2013.
  52. ↑ Hobson, Geoff (2009-04-26). "Smith: I consider the QB to be my mother". bengals.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  53. ↑ "Andre Smith". ESPN. Archived from the original on 27 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  54. ↑ Veazey, Kyle (2006-08-08). "Tide counting on freshmen: Andre Smith leads 'fine looking group' of offensive line recruits". Decatur Daily. Retrieved 2009-04-26.
  55. ↑ "Rays Tales: Meet Desmond Jennings". Tampa Bay Times. 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2011-11-02.
  56. ↑ Rosenthal, Gregg (2013-01-18). "Andre Smith of Cincinnati Bengals arrested at airport". National Football League. Retrieved 2013-01-18.

External links