Chris Smith
No. 94
PositionTight end
MajorBusiness Management
Personal information
Born: (1966-06-27) June 27, 1966
La Cañada Flintridge, California, U.S.
Height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight230 lb (104 kg)
Career history
CollegeArizona (1986)
BYU (1987–1990)
High schoolLa Cañada
Career highlights and awards

Christopher Smith (born June 27, 1966[1]) is an American former college football player who was a tight end. He began his career with the Arizona Wildcats before transferring to play with the BYU Cougars, earning consensus All-American honors with BYU in 1990. Smith was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL) in the 11th round of the 1991 NFL Draft.

Early years

Smith attended La Cañada High School,[2] where he was an All-California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) in football and track & field. In track, he set a school record in the 400 meters with 47.3 seconds.[2] Smith also competed on a nationally rank 2 mile relay team with members of the LCHS track team, coached by Pat Logan. His spilt time was 1:49.3. In football, he played as a wide receiver.[2] While at La Cañada he was also a captain of the track team and Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the football team.

College career

Smith attended the University of Arizona in 1986 before transferring to Brigham Young University. While at BYU, he majored in health care administration.[3]

As a redshirt freshman in 1987, he was the Cougars third-string tight end and played on special teams as well. In 1988, as a redshirt sophomore, he recorded nine receptions for 121 yards and one touchdown. As a redshirt junior in 1989, he was named the team's starting tight end and started all 13 games. He was named First-team All-American by The Sporting News, a Third-team All-American by the Associated Press and First-team All-Western Athletic Conference.[4][5] He was also featured in an article in Sports Illustrated as a junior who would e turning professional a year early. In 1990, as a redshirt senior, he was a consensus All-American.[4] He recorded 68 passes for 1,156 yards (an NCAA record for tight ends) and two touchdowns. He finished fifth in the nation in receiving yards.[3] His record stood until 2005 when it was broken by Tulsa's Garrett Mills.[6]

In 2011, Smith was ranked the third best tight end in BYU history by the Deseret News,[7] and then in 2015, he was ranked the 27th best football player in school history.[8]

Career statistics

SeasonReceiving
YearTeamGPGSRecYdsAvgTDLng
1987BYU –––––––
1988BYU 121912113.41–
1989BYU 1313601,09018.25–
1990BYU 1313681,15617.02–
Career48271372,36717.38–

Professional career

Prior to the NFL Draft, Smith attended the NFL Scouting Combine and recorded a 5.05 in the 40-yard dash due to multiple injuries.[2] After which a Sports Illustrated article was published before the draft that included negative quotes. The magazine featured tight end Jerry Evans, who was at the Combine and said of Smith: "He's effeminate. He can't block." NFL scout Dave Te' Thomas added: "I think Chris will look good in a business suit."[2]

Smith was drafted by Cincinnati Bengals in the 11th round (295th overall) of the 1991 NFL draft.[9] However, he was waived during the pre-season.[10]

Personal life

Smith is the son of Robert and Kay Smith.[2] He is one of 10 children.[2] His older brother, Ken, also played for the BYU Cougars as a starting nose guard.[2] Before playing college football, Smith served a mission to Albuquerque, New Mexico from 1985–1987. He married Sarah Newby in April 1989,[3] the couple have three children.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Chris Smith profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Harmon, Dick (December 8, 2005). "Dick Harmon: Smith's tight end record at BYU has finally fallen". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Chris Smith Athlete Profile". BYUCougars.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  4. 1 2 "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Chris Smith profile". Brigham Young University. Retrieved August 28, 2014.
  6. ↑ Dick Harmon (December 8, 2005). "Smith's tight end record at BYU has finally fallen". Deseret News.
  7. ↑ Wilkins, Morgan (August 17, 2011). "Top 10 BYU tight ends (based on total receiving yards)". DeseeretNews.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ Yeoman, Jay (August 20, 2015). "The BYU 100: Ranking the best football players in school history". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  9. ↑ "1991 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  10. ↑ "Bengals waive Y.'s Chris Smith". DeseretNews.com. August 20, 1991. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
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