Sutton Smith

Last updated

Sutton Smith
Sutton Smith 2017.jpg
Smith with the Northern Illinois Huskies
Personal information
Born: (1996-03-22) March 22, 1996 (age 28)
Plano, Texas, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
High school: Francis Howell (St. Charles, Missouri)
College: Northern Illinois (2015–2018)
Position: Fullback
NFL draft: 2019  / Round: 6 / Pick: 175
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards

Sutton Smith (born March 22, 1996) is an American football fullback who is a free agent. He played college football at Northern Illinois, mainly as a linebacker.

Contents

Early years

Smith played running back for Francis Howell High School in Saint Charles, Missouri. [2] As a senior in 2014, Smith led the Vikings to an 11–1 record [3] before losing to Rockhurst High School (Kansas City, MO) in the Class 6 semi-final playoff game. [4] Smith rushed for 2,046 yards and scored 32 touchdowns, 27 were rushing touchdowns [5] and was named a 1st Team All-State running back by the Missouri Football Coaches Association [6] and the Missouri Sports Writers Association. [7] Channel 5 (KSDK) named Smith their Large School Player of the Year [8] and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch named him their All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year. [9] In 2014 Smith was a top 20 recruit in the State of Missouri and was listed as a 3-star recruit by ESPN [10] and 247Sports. [11]

College career

Smith redshirted his freshman season at Northern Illinois University (NIU), to focus on making the switch from running back to linebacker.

In his redshirt sophomore season, Smith led the nation in sacks (14), tackles for loss (29.5), and quarterback pressures (73). [12] [13] This led to him being a 2017 consensus All-American, including first team selections by the Walter Camp Foundation and the Football Writers Association of America. [14] He was also named Mid-American Conference (MAC) defensive player of the year. [15] Smith became the 2nd player in NIU history since LeShon Johnson in 1993 to be named a Consensus All-American. [16] Smith broke NIU's single season tackles for loss record previously held by Scott Kellar (20). His Football Bowl Subdivision leading 14 quarterback sacks broke the single season sack record (12), previously held by Kellar (1984) and Larry English (2006). Smith was a finalist for the 2017 Ted Hendricks Award as the nation's best defensive end. [17] The Maxwell Football Club named Smith a semi-finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award, the nation's Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Year. [18]

In his redshirt junior season, Smith led the nation in tackles for loss (27) and was third in the nation in sacks (15). [19] Smith helped lead the 2018 NIU Huskies to a MAC West Division championship as well as a 30-29 win over Buffalo in the 2018 Marathon MAC Championship Game. [20] Following the game, Smith was named the game's Most Valuable Defensive player. [21] For a second consecutive year, Smith was named a First-Team All-American, [22] including first-team selections by the Associated Press, [23] ESPN, [24] SI.com, [25] CollegeFootballNews.com [26] and USA Today . [27] Smith was a second-team selection by The Walter Camp Football Association, [28] American Football Coaches Association, [29] Pro Football Focus (PFF), [30] and the Football Writers Association of America. [31] Smith was also a finalist for the 2018 Ted Hendricks Award [32] as the nation's best defensive end. PFF ranked Smith 24th on their list of the best 101 college football players in America. [33] The MAC named Smith a First-Team Defensive End and MAC Defensive Player of the Year. [34] Smith also won the Vern Smith Leadership Award which is the football MVP award for the MAC. [35] Sutton Smith is only the third defensive player in the history of the MAC to win the Vern Smith MVP honor, joining Central Michigan linebacker Ray Bentley (1982) and NIU defensive end Larry English (2008). [36]

On December 20, 2018, Smith announced that he would forgo his final year of eligibility to declare for the 2019 NFL Draft. [37]

During his collegiate career, Smith was a 2-time First-Team All-American, a 2-time First-Team MAC Defensive End, and 2-Time MAC Defensive Player of the Year. [38] He is the only player in NIU school history to achieve these honors in back-to-back seasons and is the most decorated defensive player in NIU football history. [39] [40] In 2019, both Northern Illinois Football and the College Football Hall of Fame named Smith to their All-Decade Teams. [41] [42]

Professional career

Pre-draft measurables
HeightWeightArm lengthHand span 40-yard dash 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 0+3⁄8 in
(1.84 m)		233 lb
(106 kg)		30+3⁄4 in
(0.78 m)		9 in
(0.23 m)		4.69 s4.32 s6.75 s31.5 in
(0.80 m)		9 ft 10 in
(3.00 m)		25 reps
All values from NFL Combine [43]

Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint)

Smith was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round, 175th overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft. [44] He was waived on August 31, 2019. [45]

Jacksonville Jaguars

On October 22, 2019, Smith was signed to the practice squad of the Jacksonville Jaguars, but was released a week later. [46]

Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)

On November 6, 2019, Smith was signed to the Steelers practice squad, but was released the next day. [47] On November 12, he was re-signed to the practice squad. [48] He was released on November 18.

Seattle Seahawks

On December 18, 2019, Smith was signed to the Seattle Seahawks practice squad. [49] He signed a reserve/future contract with the Seahawks on January 14, 2020. [50] He was waived on July 26, 2020. [51]

New Orleans Saints

Smith signed with the New Orleans Saints on May 14, 2021. [52] He was released on August 27, 2021. [53]

Las Vegas Raiders

On November 15, 2021, Smith was signed to the Las Vegas Raiders practice squad, after a season-ending injury to fullback Alec Ingold. [54] He was elevated to the active roster on November 21, and played in his first career NFL game, getting snaps on special teams vs the Cincinnati Bengals in week 11. He was elevated again for the week 12 game of the Raiders versus the Dallas Cowboys, before being signed to a two-year contract on December 3. [55] He also played in week 13 against the Washington Football Team, in week 14 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and week 15 against the Cleveland Browns, mostly on special teams and limited snaps on offense, not registering a rushing attempt. He was released on May 20, 2022. [56]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Illinois Huskies football</span> College football program

The Northern Illinois Huskies football team are a college football program representing Northern Illinois University (NIU) in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. NIU football plays its home games at Huskie Stadium on the campus of the Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Curry (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1986)

Aaron Curry is an American college football coach and former linebacker who is the inside linebackers coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). Curry was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round in the 2009 NFL Draft out of Wake Forest. Curry also played for the Oakland Raiders in 2011 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malcolm Smith (American football)</span> American football player (born 1989)

Malcolm Xavier Smith is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLVIII after the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldon Smith</span> American football player (born 1989)

Aldon Jacarus Smith is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, and was selected by the San Francisco 49ers with the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft. Smith was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl selection with the 49ers in 2012. He also played for the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">K. J. Wright</span> American football player (born 1989)

Kenneth Bernard Wright Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eleven seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is currently the defense quality control coach for the San Francisco 49ers. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2011 NFL draft. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Irvin</span> American football player (born 1987)

Bruce Pernell Irvin Jr. is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round with the 15th overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft. Irvin won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos, and also played in Super Bowl XLIX where he became the first player ever to be ejected from a Super Bowl. He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chandler Jones</span> American football player (born 1990)

Chandler James Jones is an American football defensive end who is a free agent. He played college football for the Syracuse Orange and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft. He has also played for the Arizona Cardinals and the Las Vegas Raiders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Wagner</span> American football player (born 1990)

Bobby Joseph Wagner is an American football linebacker for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Utah State and was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft. Wagner also played for the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Damontre Moore</span> American gridiron football player (born 1992)

Damontre Lamounte Moore is an American professional football defensive end for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was selected by the New York Giants in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned All-American honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheldon Richardson</span> American football player (born 1990)

Sheldon Adam Richardson is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Missouri Tigers, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. Richardson has also played for the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns and Minnesota Vikings twice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kawann Short</span> American football player (born 1989)

Kawann Arcell Short is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers. He was selected by the Panthers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Datone Jones</span> American gridiron football player (born 1990)

Datone Wayne Jones is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UCLA Bruins from 2008 to 2012 as a defensive end and defensive tackle. In 2008, he was named to the Rivals.com All-Pac-10 freshman team. In 2009, he earned sophomore All-America honorable mention honors from College Football News after finishing the season with 4 sacks and 11 tackles. He missed the entire 2010 season after suffering an injury to his right foot during fall camp. In 2012, he was named second-team All-Pac-12.

Jacquies Smith is a former American football defensive end. In 2014, Smith recorded 6.5 sacks in 7 starts for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 2015, Smith is credited with 7 quarterback sacks in the 11 games that he was healthy enough to play. During that season, a Bleacher Report article on Smith was entitled, "Jacquies Smith's Wild Ride to Become the NFL's Best Player You've Never Heard of."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cassius Marsh</span> American football player (born 1992)

Cassius Lee Marsh Sr. is a former American football linebacker. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football at UCLA. He also played for the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shilique Calhoun</span> American football player (born 1992)

Shilique Calhoun is a former American football linebacker. He played college football at Michigan State, and was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the third round in the 2016 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quandre Diggs</span> American football player (born 1993)

Quandre Diggs is an American football safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Texas, and was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the sixth round of the 2015 NFL draft. He played his first two years in the NFL as a cornerback before being moved to safety. In 2019, Diggs was traded to the Seahawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drew Lock</span> American football player (born 1996)

Andrew Stephen Lock is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Missouri and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He has also played for the Seattle Seahawks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">T. J. Watt</span> American football player (born 1994)

Trent Jordan Watt is an American football linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers before being selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clelin Ferrell</span> American football player (born 1997)

Clelin Ferrell is an American football defensive end for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Clemson, winning the Ted Hendricks Award in 2018 prior to being selected fourth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in the 2019 NFL draft. Ferrell has also played for the San Francisco 49ers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dre'Mont Jones</span> American football player (born 1997)

Dre'Mont Jones is an American football defensive end for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State.

References

  1. ↑ "MAC ANNOUNCES 2017 POSTSEASON FOOTBALL AWARDS". getsomemaction.com. November 29, 2017. Archived from the original on March 30, 2018. Retrieved March 30, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. ↑ "NIU's Sutton Smith leaves 'Bama behind, puts foes on backs".
  3. ↑ "St. Louis High School Varsity Statistics". December 24, 2014.
  4. ↑ Overbey, Steve (November 14, 2014). "Howell's comeback effort falls just short to Rockhurst". STLhighschoolsports.com.
  5. ↑ Kvidahl, David (December 25, 2014). "Offensive Player of the Year: Sutton Smith". STLhighschoolsports.com.
  6. ↑ Kvidahl, David (December 8, 2014). "Missouri Coaches All-State Team: Class 6". STLhighschoolsports.com.
  7. ↑ Kvidahl, David (December 16, 2014). "Missouri Media All-State, Class 6". STLhighschoolsports.com.
  8. ↑ KSDK Staff (February 4, 2015). "Howell's Sutton Smith signs with Northern Illinois". KSDK Channel 5 St. Louis.
  9. ↑ Kvidahl, David (December 25, 2014). "Offensive Player of the Year: Sutton Smith". STLhighschoolsports.com.
  10. ↑ ESPN (February 4, 2015). "ESPN Recruiting FB 2015". ESPN.com.
  11. ↑ 247Sports Rating (November 20, 2017). "2015 Top Missouri Football Recruits". 247Sports Rating 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. ↑ Tolentino, Josh (January 16, 2018). "NIU to Lose Defensive Coordinator". Daily Chronicle.
  13. ↑ Rozner, Barry. "Rozner: How NIU's Sutton Smith went from unknown running back to superstar defensive end".
  14. ↑ "Smith 2nd Huskie with consensus All-America honor".
  15. ↑ "MAC postseason football awards dominated by Western Division".
  16. ↑ NIU Media Relations (December 14, 2017). "Sutton Smith Earns Consensus All-America Status". NIU Athletics.
  17. ↑ Ted Hendricks Foundation. "Smith Named Finalist for Ted Hendricks Award". NIU Athletics.
  18. ↑ Rozner, Barry (December 9, 2017). "Rozner: How NIU's Sutton Smith went from unknown running back to superstar defensive end". Daily Herald.
  19. ↑ Helwick, Steve (April 24, 2019). "2019 NFL Draft Profile: Sutton Smith, DE/OLB, Northern Illinois". SB Nation.
  20. ↑ MAC, Conference (November 30, 2018). "NIU WINS 2018 MARATHON MAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME". MAC Conference.
  21. ↑ MAC, Conference (November 30, 2018). "NIU WINS 2018 MARATHON MAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME". MAC Conference.
  22. ↑ Mid-American Conference (December 10, 2018). "NIU'S SUTTON SMITH CONTINUES TO GARNER ALL-AMERICAN RECOGNITION". Mid-American Conference.
  23. ↑ "2018 AP All-America Team List". The Associated Press. December 10, 2018.
  24. ↑ Schutte, Dustin (December 9, 2018). "ESPN releases 2018 All-America Team". ESPN.
  25. ↑ SI Staff (December 5, 2018). "SI's 2018 College Football All-America Team". Sports Illustrated.
  26. ↑ CollegeFootballNews.com (December 9, 2018). "2018 CollegeFootballNews.com All-America Team". CollegeFootballNews.com.
  27. ↑ Myerberg, Paul (December 11, 2018). "2018 USA Today All-American Team". USA Today.
  28. ↑ Walter Camp Foundation, Carbon (December 6, 2018). "2018 All-America Teams". Walter Camp Foundation. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
  29. ↑ "2018 AFCA FBS Coaches' All-America Teams". AMERICAN FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION. December 21, 2018.
  30. ↑ Mellor, Cam (December 3, 2018). "2018 PFF All-American Team". Pro Football Focus (PFF).
  31. ↑ Richardson, Steve (December 10, 2018). "2018 FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAM UNVEILED". Football Writers Association of America.
  32. ↑ "Smith a Finalist for the Hendricks Award". NIU Athletics. December 3, 2018.
  33. ↑ Mellor, Cam (January 9, 2019). "The 101 best players in college football from 2018". PFF.
  34. ↑ "MAC ANNOUNCES 2018 AWARDS". Mid-American Conference. November 28, 2018.
  35. ↑ "MAC ANNOUNCES 2018 AWARDS". Mid-American Conference. November 28, 2018.
  36. ↑ CHICAGO TRIBUNE STAFF (November 28, 2018). "NIU's Sutton Smith earns MAC's top honor and wins 2nd Defensive Player of the Year award". CHICAGO TRIBUNE.
  37. ↑ Price, Khobi (December 20, 2018). "Sutton Smith declares for NFL Draft". Northern Star. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  38. ↑ Price, Khobi (December 20, 2018). "Sutton Smith declares for NFL Draft". Northern Star.
  39. ↑ "Sophomore Becomes Most Decorated Defender in School History". NIU Athletics. December 13, 2017.
  40. ↑ NIU Media Relations (December 13, 2017). "More All-America Honors Roll in for Sutton Smith". NIU Football.
  41. ↑ Linton, Chance (August 23, 2019). "College Football Hall of Fame Selects All-Decade Team".
  42. ↑ "Reflecting on a Decade of Excellence". NIU Athletics. December 16, 2018.
  43. ↑ "Sutton Smith Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  44. ↑ "Steelers select Smith in sixth round". Steelers.com. April 27, 2019.
  45. ↑ "Steelers make roster cuts". Steelers.com. August 31, 2019.
  46. ↑ "Jaguars Sign Two Linebackers to Active Roster". Jaguars.com. October 22, 2019.
  47. ↑ Bryan, Dave (November 7, 2019). "Steelers Release OLB Sutton Smith From Practice Squad, Re-Sign RB Darrin Hall". SteelersDepot.com.
  48. ↑ Bryan, Dave (November 12, 2019). "Steelers Re-Sign OLB Sutton Smith To Practice Squad, Release RB Darrin Hall". SteelersDepot.com.
  49. ↑ Patton, Andy (December 18, 2019). "Seahawks sign linebacker Dekoda Watson". Seahawkswire.usatoday.com.
  50. ↑ Boyle, John (January 14, 2020). "Seahawks Sign Six Players To Reserve/Future Contracts". Seahawks.com.
  51. ↑ Rauschenberg, Nathan (July 26, 2020). "Seahawks Waive Seven, Terminate Two, Including Center Joey Hunt". Seahawks.com. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
  52. ↑ "New Orleans Saints announce roster moves". NewOrleansSaints.com. May 14, 2021. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Saints sign defensive tackle after tryout, waive backup fullback". Saints Wire. USA Today. August 27, 2021.
  54. ↑ "Raiders Sign Ex-Steelers LB to Replace Alec Ingold at FB, Release WR". Heavy.com. November 15, 2021.
  55. ↑ "Raiders News: fullback Sutton Smith signs 2-year deal". Silver and Black Pride. SB Nation. December 3, 2021.
  56. ↑ "Raiders sign WR Jordan Veasy". Raiders.com. May 20, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.