Ryan Smith (cornerback, Born 1993)
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Ryan Smith (born September 7, 1993) is a German former professional
American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
. He played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
at North Carolina Central. He was selected by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
in the fourth round of the
2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
.


Early life

Ryan Smith was born in
Augsburg, Germany Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and the regional seat of the Swabia with a well preserved Altstadt (historical city centre). Augsbu ...
on September 7, 1993, to parents Damon and Traci Richardson, and raised in
Clinton, Maryland Clinton is an unincorporated census-designated place (CDP) in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Clinton was formerly known as Surrattsville until after the time of the Civil War, and Robeystown from 1865 to 1878. The population o ...
, where he spent the majority of his childhood. He moved to
Upper Marlboro, Maryland Upper Marlboro, officially the Town of Upper Marlboro, is the county seat of Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population within the town limits was 652, although Greater Upper ...
in his high school years, where he attended Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. High School. His younger brother Tre Smith played defense at NCCU with him. In high school, Smith was a dual athlete playing football and basketball. He decided that football was the more logical sport to pursue in order to help his family pay for his college tuition. In a press conference shortly after he was drafted, Smith stated that if his plans of playing in the NFL hadn't come true, he would have joined the
United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The Marshals Service serves as the enforcement and security arm of the United States federal judi ...
.


College career

Smith attended
North Carolina Central University North Carolina Central University (NCCU or NC Central) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically black university in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by James E. Shepard in affiliati ...
(NCCU) from 2012 to 2015, playing in 45 games and starting 42. He set multiple team records for solo
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
(168) and
kickoff return A kickoff is a method of starting a Drive (American football), drive in gridiron football. Additionally, it may refer to a kickoff time, the scheduled time of the first kickoff of a game. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicki ...
yard average (28.1). Among NCCU career leaders, Smith finished sixth in tackles (263) and tied for 11th in
passes defended In American football, a pass deflected, also known as a pass deflection, a pass defended, a pass , a pass knockdown, or a pass breakup, is an incomplete pass that is caused by a defensive player. This is done by slapping or blocking the ball with ...
with 31 (7
interceptions In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team bu ...
, 24 pass break-ups). In his freshman season, he was
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
and played in all 11 games, starting 8 of them. Smith ended his freshman season as NCCU's second-leading tackler with 65 total takedowns, second in interceptions (3) and third with eight passes defended (3 interceptions, 5 pass break-ups). Smith was selected to the College Sports Journal Football Championship Subdivision Freshman All-America team. Smith started all 12 games in his redshirt sophomore season. He ranked second on the Eagles and 19th in the
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC ) is a List of NCAA conferences, collegiate athletic conference whose full members are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and the Mid-A ...
(MEAC) with 88 total tackles (51 solo). He was also ranked number one on the team and fourth in the MEAC with 3
fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
recoveries. In his redshirt junior campaign, he started all 12 games, making the switch from
safety Safety is the state of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings The word 'safety' entered the English language in the 1 ...
to
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
in his redshirt junior season. Smith tallied 58 total tackles and 44 solo tackles, which was second-best on the team. He was voted to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team. As a redshirt senior, Smith started in 10 of 11 games as a cornerback, only missing the game against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. He ended the year ranking third in the MEAC with a team-best 11 passes defended (2 interceptions and 9 pass break-ups), and a total of 52 tackles (ranking second on the team with 38 solo tackles). Smith led the conference and ranked 10th in the nation with an average of 28.1 yards per kickoff return (14 for 394 yards, 1
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
).


Professional career


Tampa Bay Buccaneers (first stint)


2016

The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
selected Smith in the fourth round with the 108th overall pick in the
2016 NFL draft The 2016 NFL draft was the 81st annual draft of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
. Smith was the 18th cornerback drafted in 2016. On May 5, 2016, the Buccaneers signed Smith to a four-year, $2.93 million contract with a signing bonus of $592,161. The team immediately converted Smith to safety. Throughout
training camp A training camp is an organized period in which military personnel or athletes participate in a rigorous and focused schedule of training in order to learn or improve skills. Athletes typically utilise training camps to prepare for upcoming events ...
, Smith competed for backup safety against Isaiah Johnson, Kimario McFadden, and Elijah Shumate. Head coach
Dirk Koetter Dirk Jeffrey Koetter ( ; born February 5, 1959) is an American former college and professional football coach. He recently served as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Boise State. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccane ...
named Smith the backup free safety behind Bradley McDougald to begin the regular season. On September 25, Smith made his professional regular season debut as the Buccaneers lost 37–32 against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
in Week 3. In Week 9, he recorded his only tackle of the season during a 43–28 loss against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
. He finished his rookie season in 2016 recording one tackle in 14 games with zero starts.


2017

Following the 2016 season, the Buccaneers announced that Smith would be moved back to cornerback. During training camp, Smith competed to be the third cornerback on the depth chart against Javien Elliott,
Jude Adjei-Barimah Jude Adjei-Barimah (born July 21, 1992) is an Italian former American football cornerback. He played college football at Bowling Green. Early life Adjei-Barimah was born in Pordenone, Italy to Samuel Adjei and Agartha Boateng, before moving ...
, Robert McClain, and Josh Robinson. HC Koetter named Smith to the roster spot to begin the regular season, behind
Brent Grimes Brent Omar Grimes (born July 19, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Shippensburg University and signed with the Atlanta Falcons as ...
and Vernon Hargreaves. On September 24, 2017, Smith earned his first career start in place of Grimes who was sidelined due to a shoulder injury. In the Buccaneers' 34–17 loss at the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, Smith finished with three solo tackles and one pass deflection. He started another two games in place of Grimes (Weeks 8–9) after the latter re-injured his shoulder. In Week 9, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles during a 30–10 loss at 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 National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. In Week 10, Grimes became a starting cornerback for the remainder of the season (as announced weeks later on December 20) after Hargreaves was placed on
injured reserve The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in ...
with a hamstring injury; this move kept Smith as a starting cornerback. On November 26, Smith made a season-high eight solo tackles during a 34–20 loss at the Falcons in Week 12. Smith was inactive for the Buccaneers' Week 16 loss at the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
due to an ankle injury, but returned for the season finale the following week. He finished the
2017 NFL season The 2017 NFL season was the 98th season in the history of the National Football League (NFL) and the 52nd of the Super Bowl era. The season began on September 7, 2017, with the Kansas City Chiefs defeating the defending Super Bowl LI champion ...
with 62 combined tackles (51 solo), 5 pass deflections, and two forced fumbles in 15 games with 10 starts.


2018

Smith made the effort to retain his role as a starting cornerback during training camp, but saw heavy competition from Hargreaves, as well as the Buccaneers' second round selections in the
2018 NFL draft The 2018 NFL draft was the 83rd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2018 NFL season. The draft was held on April 26–28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington southwest of Dallas; it was ...
, M. J. Stewart and
Carlton Davis Carlton Davis III (born December 31, 1996) is an American professional football cornerback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Auburn Tigers and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buc ...
. Koetter named Smith the fourth cornerback on the depth chart to start the regular season, behind Grimes, Hargreaves, and Davis. In Week 2, Smith collected a season-high nine combined tackles and made two pass deflections during a 27–21 victory against 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 of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. On November 25, 2018, Smith broke up a pass attempt and made his first career interception as the Buccaneers defeated the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the 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 ...
27–9 in Week 12; Smith intercepted a pass from quarterback
Nick Mullens Nicholas Clayton Mullens (born March 21, 1995) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Southern Miss Golden Eagle ...
intended for wide receiver
Dante Pettis Dante Garrison Pettis (born October 23, 1995) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Washington Huskies. Early life Pettis attended ...
during the fourth quarter. Smith finished the season with 38 combined tackles (31 solo), 5 pass deflections, and 1 interception in 16 games with six starts.


2019

On July 10, 2019, it was announced Smith had been suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season for violating the NFL performance-enhancing substances policy. He was reinstated from suspension on September 30, and activated prior to Week 5.


2020

On March 30, 2020, Smith was re-signed by the Buccaneers. Smith played in all three games in the Buccaneers' playoff run, as well as
Super Bowl LV Super Bowl LV was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2020 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the American Football Conferen ...
which they won.


Los Angeles Chargers


2021

On March 30, 2021, Smith signed with the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
. He was placed on injured reserve on September 6. He was activated on October 9. He suffered a
torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during in ...
in Week 9 and was placed on injured reserve on November 13, where he remained the rest of the season.


Indianapolis Colts


2022

On September 27, 2022, Smith was signed to the
practice squad In gridiron football, the practice squad, also called the taxi squad or practice roster, is a group of players signed by a team but not part of their main roster. They serve as extra players during the team's practices, often as part of the scou ...
of the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. He was released on October 25.


Tampa Bay Buccaneers (second stint)

On October 31, 2022, Smith was signed to the Buccaneers' practice squad. He was released on December 6.


Personal life

Smith is a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
. Smith is a member of
Kappa Alpha Psi Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. () is a List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911, at Indiana University Bloomington, it has n ...
fraternity.


Reference list


External links


NFL Scouting Combine profile

NCCU Eagles bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Ryan 1993 births Living people American football cornerbacks American football safeties German players of American football Indianapolis Colts players Los Angeles Chargers players North Carolina Central Eagles football players People from Clinton, Maryland Players of American football from Upper Marlboro, Maryland Tampa Bay Buccaneers players