Rashad Smith (born April 20, 1997) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wit ...
linebacker
Linebacker (LB) is a playing position in gridiron football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage and the defensive linemen. They are the "middle ground" of defenders, pl ...
for the
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played thei ...
of the
United States Football League
The United States Football League (USFL) was a professional American football league that played for three seasons, 1983 through 1985. The league played a spring/summer schedule in each of its active seasons. The 1986 season was scheduled to be ...
(USFL). He played
college football at
Florida Atlantic.
Early years
Smith attended
Homestead High School. As a junior, he had 6 fumble recoveries. As a senior, he appeared in 10 games, tallying 102 tackles, 8 sacks and 3 forced fumbles.
College career
Smith accepted a football scholarship from the
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, and satellite campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Jupiter, and Fort Pierce. FAU belongs to the 1 ...
. As a true freshman, he appeared in 11 games, compiling 22 tackles (2 for loss) and one sack. He had 5 solo tackles against
Kansas State University
Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public insti ...
. He started against the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...
and made 3 tackles.
As a sophomore, he appeared in 14 games, registering 99 tackles (12 for loss), 6 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries, 5 pass breakups and one forced fumble. He had 10 tackles (one for loss) against Navy. He started against the
University at Buffalo
The State University of New York at Buffalo, commonly called the University at Buffalo (UB) and sometimes called SUNY Buffalo, is a public research university with campuses in Buffalo and Amherst, New York. The university was founded in 1 ...
, making 12 tackles and 2 passes defensed. He had 6 tackles, one sack, one quarterback hurry and 2 pass breakups against
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia wi ...
. He made 10 tackles (one for loss) against
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activ ...
. He had 8 tackles, 3 sacks and one forced fumble against
Florida International University
Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in Miami-Dade County. Founded in 1965, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest university in Florida ...
.
As a junior, he appeared in 12 games, collecting 86 tackles (5.5 for loss), one sack, 4 interceptions, 2 quarterback hurries, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery. He had 9 tackles against
University of Oklahoma
, mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State"
, type = Public research university
, established =
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.7billion (2021)
, pr ...
. He made 16 (one for loss) and one interception against Air Force. He had 9 tackles, one sack and one quarterback hurry against No. 16 ranked
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida (UCF) is a public research university whose main campus is in unincorporated Orange County, Florida. UCF also has nine smaller regional campuses throughout central Florida. It is part of the State University ...
. He made 12 tackles (0.5 for loss) and one quarterback hurry against
Marshall University
Marshall University is a public research university in Huntington, West Virginia. It was founded in 1837 and is named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States.
The university is currently composed of nine colleges: ...
.
As a senior, he appeared in 14 games, posting 109 tackles (11.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks, 4 quarterback hurries, 3 interceptions, 2 pass breakups, one forced fumble and 5 fumble recoveries (led the nation). He had 11 tackles and one fumble recovery against
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly called Ohio State or OSU, is a public land-grant research university in Columbus, Ohio. A member of the University System of Ohio, it has been ranked by major institutional rankings among the best pu ...
. He made 11 tackles, one fumble recovery (returned for a touchdown) and one interception against
Southern Methodist University
, mottoeng = " The truth will make you free"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = SACS
, academic_affiliations =
, religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church
, president = R. Gerald Turner
, pr ...
. He finished his college career with 51 games, 316 tackles (31 for loss), 11.5 sacks, 7 interceptions, 8 pass breakups and 2 forced fumbles.
Professional career
Chicago Bears
Smith was signed as an
undrafted free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
by the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
after the
2020 NFL Draft
The 2020 NFL Draft was the 85th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2020 NFL season. The first round was held on April 23, followed by the second and third rounds on April 24. The ...
on April 27. He was waived during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day.
Dallas Cowboys
On September 15, 2020, the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divis ...
signed Smith off the Bears'
practice squad. He was declared inactive in the 6 games he spent on the active roster. He was waived on October 26.
Philadelphia Eagles
On November 2, 2020, Smith was signed to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
' practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster on December 12 for the team's week 14 game against the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, and reverted to the practice squad after the game. He was promoted to the active roster on January 1, 2021. He was waived on August 29, 2021.
San Francisco 49ers
On September 3, 2021, Smith was signed to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
practice squad. He was released on September 10, 2021.
Chicago Bears (second stint)
On September 23, 2021, Smith was signed to the
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine ...
practice squad. He was released on October 5. He was re-signed to the practice squad on October 13. He was released again on December 7.
Atlanta Falcons
On December 14, 2021, Smith was signed to the
Atlanta Falcons practice squad. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Falcons on January 10, 2022. He was released on August 16, 2022.
Birmingham Stallions
Smith signed with the
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played thei ...
of the USFL on November 3, 2022.
References
External links
Florida Atlantic Owls bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Rashad
Living people
1997 births
African-American players of American football
Sportspeople from Miami-Dade County, Florida
Players of American football from Florida
American football linebackers
Florida Atlantic Owls football players
Chicago Bears players
Dallas Cowboys players
Philadelphia Eagles players
San Francisco 49ers players
Atlanta Falcons players
21st-century African-American sportspeople
Birmingham Stallions (2022) players