Torrey Smith
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James Torrey Smith (born January 26, 1989) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
who played in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for eight seasons. He played
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for the
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and was selected by the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
in the
2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
. He also played for 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 ...
,
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 ...
, and
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 ...
. Smith is a two-time
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
champion, winning
Super Bowl XLVII Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
with the Ravens and Super Bowl LII with the Eagles.


Early life

Smith was born on January 26, 1989, and grew up with his mother Monica Jenkins in Colonial Beach, Virginia, and
Fredericksburg, Virginia Fredericksburg is an Independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 27,982. It is south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond, Virginia, R ...
. The oldest of seven children, Smith helped his single mother, who attended Rappahannock Community College in the day and worked at night, with household chores and earned honor roll grades in school. Smith attended Colonial Beach Elementary School until 3rd grade. Smith went on to Stafford Senior High School, where he played
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
as a guard, and
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
at several different positions. He enjoys fishing as a pastime. Smith played on the Stafford Indians football team as a
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
,
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
,
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
,
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 ...
, kickoff returner, and
punt returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punt (gridiron football), punts and kickoff (gridiron football), kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusivel ...
. In Stafford's 2004 game against King George, Smith opened with a 54-yard kickoff return, played quarterback, and scored on a 63-yard
punt return Punt or punting may refer to: Boats * Punt (boat), a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow developed on the River Thames * Falmouth Quay Punt, a small sailing vessel hired by ships anchored in Falmouth harbour * Norfolk Punt, a type of racing ...
. His coach, Roger Pierce, said, "Torrey can do those type of things for us. We expect him to do those things." During his senior year in 2006, Smith had 155  carries for 815 yards and 12 
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 ...
s, completed nine of 25  passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, and made three receptions for 81 yards. Over the course of his interscholastic career, Smith returned six kickoffs for touchdowns. He earned all-state
kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...
honors as a sophomore, all-district honors as a junior, and honorable mention All-Northwest Region quarterback honors, all-district, and all-area honors as a senior. As a college prospect, Rivals.com ranked him 30th nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks, Scouts, Inc. ranked him 33rd nationally among wide receivers, and SuperPrep placed him on its Virginia 33.
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assessed him as a "do-it-all prospect" and projected him as a wide receiver because of his size and speed. Smith was recruited by
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
,
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
, and
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
. He was shown interest by
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, but did not receive a
scholarship A scholarship is a form of Student financial aid, financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, Multiculturalism, diversity and inclusion, athleti ...
offer. The Virginia staff, which questioned whether he had recovered his speed after a basketball injury during his junior year, asked Smith to run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at a Nike combine at
Clemson University Clemson University () is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university near Clemson, South Carolina, United States. - The blue-shaded pattern denotes university property. This shows Clemson University is ''out ...
, which he did. The Virginia staff then asked him to repeat the feat at the University of Virginia campus, but Maryland offered a scholarship, which Smith accepted. He later said, "I kind of hold a grudge against U.Va. a little bit. I'm not afraid to say it. I kind of want to show them that they questioned my speed and whether I was going to get it back. I want to show them that I'm all healed up." Virginia head coach Al Groh said of the Fredericksburg native before the 2009 game against Maryland, "Clearly if we him being the type of player that he is now, he would be returning kicks for Virginia. So we are not above admitting that there is a player that certainly has turned out to be superior to what many people thought, including ourselves. He's—regardless of what the circumstances were in the past—he is a superior college football player."


College career


2007 season

Smith sat out the 2007 season at Maryland on
redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) 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 ...
status, and was voted the scout team player of the year as a freshman. He was named the scout team player of the week before the
Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
game. In summer camp, Smith adjusted from playing quarterback to wide receiver, a position he had limited experience with in high school. Teammate Darrius Heyward-Bey said, "He's like a sponge. He's taking it all in, asking a lot of questions—and that's good for a receiver." In December, he practiced with the first team after Isaiah Williams suffered an injury.


2008 season

Smith drew praise from the Maryland coaching staff during summer workouts before the 2008 season, and ''
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'' predicted Smith, alongside receiver Ronnie Tyler, would earn significant playing time. He played in all 13 games and started in the last six of the season. He also saw action on
special teams In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their position. Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
as a kickoff returner. Smith recorded 24 receptions for 336 yards and two touchdowns. In its midseason report, ''
The Baltimore Sun ''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local, regional, national, and international news. Founded in 1837, the newspaper was owned by Tribune Publi ...
'' credited Smith for often giving an inconsistent Maryland team good field position with his long kick returns. Against
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...
, Smith returned four kicks for 86 yards. He made his first career reception for three yards the following week against #23
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
. Against Eastern Michigan, Smith recorded two receptions for 58 yards and four kickoffs for 126 yards. Smith tallied his first collegiate touchdown on a third-quarter reception from quarterback Chris Turner in the 20–17 comeback at #20 Clemson. He recorded 144 return yards against
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. In the 26–0 victory over #21 Wake Forest, Smith returned the opening kick 34 yards, and caught two passes for eight yards. Smith made his career first start against NC State and recorded four kickoff returns for 85 yards, which set the school single-season kickoff return yards record for a freshman, surpassing the 566-yard mark set by Da'Rel Scott in 2007. Smith blocked a punt against
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
, and led the team with 163 all-purpose yards including 62 receiving yards. He recorded one reception for 12 yards against 16th-ranked
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. In the latter part of the season, Smith increased his role and was elevated over Isaiah Williams as the number-two receiver across from Darrius Heyward-Bey. Head coach
Ralph Friedgen Ralph Harry Friedgen (born April 4, 1947) is a former American football coach. He was most recently the special assistant coach for Rutgers in 2015 after serving as their offensive coordinator in the 2014 season. He was the head coach at the Un ...
explained that his presence would alleviate the coverage on Heyward-Bey and praised Smith's blocking ability in the running game. Against Florida State, Smith broke the school record for single-season kickoff return yards, previously held by cornerback Josh Wilson. He had 119 all-purpose yards, including one 13-yard reception. Smith posted his season-best performance against 21st-ranked
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
with 245 all-purpose yards and eight receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. In the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl, he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against
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, which broke the bowl's previous return record of 98 yards. It was also the first time a Maryland player returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a
bowl game In North America, a bowl game, or simply bowl, is one of a number of postseason college football games primarily played by NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams. For most of its history, the FBS did not use a playoff tourname ...
. At the end of the season, Smith had returned 42 kickoffs for 1,089 yards, which set a new
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the ACC's eighteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athlet ...
single-season record. Smith led the team with 1,425 all-purpose yards, which put him ahead of starting running back Da'Rel Scott who compiled 1,304 yards.


2009 season

Before the 2009 season, Smith reportedly struggled in Maryland's summer camp, dividing his time between practice and online courses at night. Towards the end of camp, head coach
Ralph Friedgen Ralph Harry Friedgen (born April 4, 1947) is a former American football coach. He was most recently the special assistant coach for Rutgers in 2015 after serving as their offensive coordinator in the 2014 season. He was the head coach at the Un ...
noted an improvement in his performance, which reestablished Smith as the team's top receiver alongside Adrian Cannon. During the season, Smith saw action in all twelve games, including ten as a starter, and he amassed 61 receptions for 824 receiving yards and five touchdowns, 51 kickoff returns for 1,309 yards and two touchdowns, and eleven rushing attempts for 59 yards and one touchdown. His kickoff return yardage surpassed the ACC single-season record that he had set the previous year. Smith finished the season ranked sixth in the nation in all-purpose yards. He was one of two players, alongside Donald Buckram of UTEP, to record more than 260 all-purpose yards in three games. Smith led the team in receptions, receiving yards and return yards. Smith's 2,192 all-purpose yards were the second-most ever recorded by an ACC player behind only C. J. Spiller of Clemson. In the season opener at #12
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, he caught one pass for 28 yards and made two rushing attempts for 16 yards. Against Division I FCS
James Madison James Madison (June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison was popularly acclaimed as the ...
, Smith caught eight passes for 80 yards, rushed twice for 22 yards and a touchdown, and returned four kickoffs 127 yards, including one 81-yard touchdown return. Despite the strong statistical performance, head coach Ralph Friedgen said, "To be honest with you, I was kind of expecting more out of Torrey. I've got a lot of faith in him. I'm not surprised at all about the return yards. But I think if you asked Torrey, he has high expectations for himself, too." Smith agreed with the criticism, and acknowledged that in his second season as a wide receiver, he had room for improvement. He recorded five catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns in the
Middle Tennessee Middle Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that composes roughly the central portion of the state. It is delineated according to state law as 41 of the state's 95 counties. Middle Tennessee contains the state's capital an ...
game, and caught four passes for 112 yards against
Rutgers Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...
. He led the team with three receptions for 64 yards and a 29-yard touchdown against Clemson, and became the first player in the nation to reach 1,000 all-purpose yards on the season. Against Wake Forest, Smith returned six kickoffs 194 yards and caught a career-high ten passes for 70 yards and a touchdown. For his performance, he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Specialist of the Week. Wake Forest head coach
Jim Grobe Jim Britt Grobe (born February 17, 1952) is an American college football coach and former player who was most recently the defensive coordinator of the San Antonio Commanders of the Alliance of American Football. His previous position to that was ...
said, "This kid is probably a better receiver han Darrius Heyward-Bey He catches the ball better, he's got great foot speed. He can hurt you running the ball or catching it. Everywhere you look, he's a problem." Coach Friedgen named Smith the special teams captain for the
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
game. During the game, Virginia chose to kick short to keep the ball away from Smith on kickoffs, and quarterback Chris Turner did not target him until the fourth quarter. He finished with three receptions for 34 yards and no returns. He recorded two receptions for 13 yards at
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
. At NC State, he caught eight passes for 64 yards and returned a kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. During the game, he surpassed the ACC single-season kickoff return yards record which he had set the previous season. He had four receptions for 55 yards against 21st-ranked
Virginia Tech The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, commonly referred to as Virginia Tech (VT), is a Public university, public Land-grant college, land-grant research university with its main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States ...
, seven receptions for 71 yards against
Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
, and six receptions for 68 yards and a touchdown against
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
. After the season, the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association named Smith to the All-ACC second team as both a wide receiver and return specialist. '' Phil Steele's'' and ''
The Sporting News ''The Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a ...
'' named him to their All-ACC first teams as a wide receiver. ''Phil Steele's'' and Rivals.com named him to their All-ACC second teams as a kick returner. Smith submitted his name to a panel of NFL scouts after the season, which evaluated him as a third- or fourth-round selection in the
2010 NFL draft The 2010 NFL draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. The 2010 NFL draft, draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first ...
.


2010 season

Smith returned to Maryland for the 2010 season to increase his NFL draft stock, complete his
criminology Criminology (from Latin , 'accusation', and Ancient Greek , ''-logia'', from λόγος ''logos'', 'word, reason') is the interdisciplinary study of crime and deviant behaviour. Criminology is a multidisciplinary field in both the behaviou ...
and
criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...
degree in December, and improve the team's record from a 2–10 finish the year prior. He said, "I'll have the same talk with the same people bout the draft But my focus is to change what happened last year." Prior to the start of the season, the coaching staff planned to increase Smith's efficiency by playing him fewer snaps in an attempt to keep him fresh. In the Red–White spring game, Smith accounted for 90 of starting quarterback Jamarr Robinson's 146 passing yards, including a "fingertip catch in the end zone" on the opening drive, Before the season, Smith was named to the watchlists for the Paul Hornung Award and Biletnikoff Award. Maryland started the 2010 season against
Navy A navy, naval force, military maritime fleet, war navy, or maritime force is the military branch, branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral z ...
, which intentionally kicked away from the elusive return man. In the home opener against , Smith scored on a 24-yard pass from backup quarterback Danny O'Brien and a five-yard pass from starter Jamarr Robinson. Smith scored two touchdowns of 60 and 80 yards in Maryland's failed comeback attempt at 21st-ranked
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
, 31–17. After the West Virginia game, ''
Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with a circulation of over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellen ...
'' considered Smith a rising prospect for the
2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
and described him as "a true vertical threat who has NFL size and home-run hitting speed."
Redshirt Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to: Sports * Redshirt (college sports) 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 ...
freshman Danny O'Brien secured the starting quarterback position after Jamarr Robinson suffered a shoulder injury, and the rookie soon "found great chemistry" with Smith. Against Florida International, Smith made eight receptions for 159 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown catch and a 32-yard catch that set up another score. He limped off of the field after his touchdown catch, but later said, "I was fine. I was
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
-ing." The following week, he was limited in practice, but played against
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
and caught a 44-yard reception during a first-half scoring drive. However, the lingering ankle ailment continued to bother Smith, and head coach Ralph Friedgen considered using punt returner Tony Logan for kickoff returns until he fully healed. Smith had four receptions for 55 yards in the 31–7 loss to Clemson, but was hindered by his sore ankle which kept him out of practice. Smith said, "I don't like sitting out ractices I feel like I'm leaving my teammates out to dry. I didn't battle with them all week." After the game, Friedgen said in the future he would sit players who could not practice by the Thursday before a game. Against
Boston College Boston College (BC) is a private university, private Catholic Jesuits, Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1863 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic Religious order (Catholic), religious order, t ...
, running back Da'Rel Scott handled some of the kickoff return duties, but Smith returned two for 38 yards. He also caught eight passes for 34 yards and a touchdown. The following week, Maryland clinched bowl eligibility with a 62–14 rout of Wake Forest. Regarding the turnaround from the previous season's 2–10 record, Smith said, "We expected to be in this position. No one else expected it," but added "No one is going to respect us etbecause we have not beaten any top dogs." In the game, Smith had five catches for 66 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown reception. Before the game against
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, the coaching staff reported Smith's ankle had improved and he was "as healthy as he has been in a while". Against Miami, he had three receptions for 35 yards. Smith also compiled 46 yards on two kickoff returns to break the ACC career kickoff return yards record with 2,724 yards, which surpassed the previous mark of 2,688 yards held by
Brandon Tate Brandon Tate (born October 5, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2009 NFL draft. He pl ...
of
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. At
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
, Smith took advantage of the Cavaliers' man-to-man coverage and had seven receptions for 157 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown. On a 62-yard catch, he said he was tackled on the seven-yard line only because he was exhausted. Quarterback Danny O'Brien expressed his readiness to throw deep passes to Smith in single coverage, "If it's even, I put it up." Maryland entered the game against 25th-ranked
Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
in contention for the ACC Atlantic Division championship. Smith recorded a phone message and video appealing to fans in a bid to improve home attendance, which had been lackluster throughout the season. The game was attended by 48,115 spectators, which surpassed the athletic department's projections. Maryland lost, 30–16, and Smith had seven receptions for 69 yards. Smith delivered a record-setting performance against #23 North Carolina State, in which he collected a career-high 14 receptions for 224 yards and four touchdowns. Smith scored on catches of 10, 11, 12, and 71 yards, and his performance helped Maryland win, 38–31, despite amassing negative rushing yards. During the game, Smith set the school record for career all-purpose yardage, which surpassed Lamont Jordan's previous mark of 4,960 yards. His four touchdown receptions in a single game also set a school record, which surpassed the previous mark of three shared by Vernon Davis, Guilian Gary, Jermaine Lewis, and James Milling. Smith's season tally of twelve touchdowns also set a school record, which surpassed the mark of nine shared by Jermaine Lewis and Marcus Badgett. He also joined Marcus Badgett as just the second Maryland receiver to accumulate over 1,000 yards in a single season. For his performance, the Atlantic Coast Conference named him the Offensive Back of the Week. Upon the conclusion of the regular season, the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association named Smith to the All-ACC first team as a wide receiver. In the 2010 Military Bowl against East Carolina, Smith had two catches for ten yards. Shortly after the game, he declared himself available for the
2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
in order to financially support his family. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said, while he believed Smith could have potentially reached first-round status with another year, he would likely be selected in the second or third round of the 2011 NFL Draft.


College statistics


Professional career


Baltimore Ravens


2011 season

The
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
selected Smith with the 58th overall pick in the second round of the
2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
. Smith, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the combine, was described as a deep threat that the team had missed the previous season. After facing criticism for a lack of production in the first two weeks, Smith turned in a record-setting performance against the St. Louis Rams in Week 3. In the first quarter, he scored on each of his first three career receptions with 74-, 41-, and 18-yard touchdowns. The 74-yard score was the longest completion of quarterback Joe Flacco's career until it was tied, then surpassed in 2013 and 2014 respectively. He became the first NFL rookie, and only the 12th player, to amass three touchdown receptions in a single quarter. Smith finished the game with five receptions for 152 yards in the 37–7 victory. Smith caught a 26-yard game-winning touchdown against the division rival
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
on November 6, 2011. On November 20, 2011, Smith made six receptions for a Ravens rookie record 165 yards against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, including a 49-yard touchdown from Joe Flacco. He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his game against the Bengals. He finished the season with Ravens rookie records of 50 receptions, 841 receiving yards, 52.6 yards per game, and 7 receiving touchdowns (the last led the team and was tied two years later by
Marlon Brown Marlon D. Brown (born April 22, 1991) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Georgia Bulldogs football, ...
). In the
AFC Championship Game The AFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the American Football Conference (AFC) and one of the two semifinal NFL playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football lea ...
, the Ravens faced the number-one seeded
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. He finished the loss with three catches for 82 yards.


2012 season

The morning before Baltimore's Week 3 ''
NBC Sunday Night Football ''NBC Sunday Night Football'' (abbreviated as ''SNF'') is an American weekly television broadcast of National Football League (NFL) games on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock in the United States. It began airing on August 6, 2006, w ...
'' rematch with the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Smith's younger brother Tevin Jones died in a motorcycle accident, leaving the former distraught. To honor his late brother, Smith played and led his team in receptions (6), receiving yards (127) and receiving touchdowns (2) and helped the Ravens win 31–30. In a Week 10 matchup against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, Smith caught two passes for touchdowns in the 55–20 win. On November 23, Smith recorded a season-high 144 yards, seven catches in an overtime victory over the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
. Smith finished the year with 48 catches, 855 yards and a then-career-high eight touchdown receptions. In the Divisional Playoff Round against the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
, Smith caught both a 59-yard pass and a 32-yard pass for touchdowns in a 38–35 double overtime win. He finished the game with three catches, 98 yards, and the pair of touchdowns. The Ravens won
Super Bowl XLVII Super Bowl XLVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Baltimore Ravens and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers to decide the National Football League (NFL) champio ...
against 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 ...
34–31, earning Smith his first Super Bowl ring. Smith ended the game with two catches for a total of 35 yards.


2013 season

After wide receiver Anquan Boldin was traded in free agency, Smith started the 2013 season as the Ravens starting receiver. Smith scored his first touchdown of the season in a Week 4 loss to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. He finished the game catching five passes for a total of 166 yards, including a 74-yard catch. In the following game, Smith caught six passes for 121 yards in a win against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
. In Week 15, Smith reached the 1,000 yard receiving season mark for the first time in his career. He was also the first Raven's-drafted receiver to eclipse 1,000 yards for the team. Smith finished the year with 65 receptions, 1,128 yards, and four touchdowns.


2014 season

In Week 8, Smith caught four passes for 51-yards and two touchdowns, as he helped Joe Flacco set the NFL record for the fastest time to record five touchdown passes (16 minutes and 3 seconds). The Ravens defeated 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 ...
48–17. The following week, 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 ...
, Smith scored the game-sealing touchdown. With less than two minutes left in the game and facing a fourth down, Flacco threw a pass to Smith, who caught it for a 39-yard score. In Week 13, on the first possession, Smith scored the game's opening touchdown against the
San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team in the National Football League (NFL). The Chargers played in San Diego, California from 1961 until 2016, before relocating back to the Greater Los Angeles area, where the franch ...
, after juggling the ball in the endzone. Smith recorded a pair of touchdowns in the Raven's 33–34 loss. In their regular season finale, the Ravens took on their division rivals, the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, needing a win and a Chargers loss to get into the playoffs. Trailing 10–6 in the final quarter, Smith caught a deep pass from Flacco, and on the very next play, a 16-yard touchdown to give Baltimore the lead. Smith finished the game with four receptions for 83 yards, including two decisive fourth quarter plays. Baltimore won the game 20–10 and clinched a playoff spot with the help of a Chargers loss. In the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, the Ravens faced the division rival
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
. They won the game 30–17, with Smith recording two catches for 28 yards and a touchdown. In the Divisional Round, the Ravens lost 31–35 to the eventual
Super Bowl XLIX Super Bowl XLIX was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2014 NFL season, 2014 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2014 New England Patriots season, New Eng ...
champion
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. Smith finished the season with 49 receptions, 767 yards, and a career-high 11 touchdown catches. He also had three games in which he scored multiple touchdowns. During March 2015, Smith sent a letter to the entire city of Baltimore, announcing that he would test free agency and thanking the Ravens organization and its fans for starting his career in Baltimore. He left the organization as the franchise-record holder in yards per catch in the regular season (16.9).


San Francisco 49ers


2015 season

On March 10, 2015, Smith signed a five-year, $40 million contract ($22 million guaranteed) with 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 ...
. Smith would start alongside former Raven's teammate Anquan Boldin. In the 49ers' season-opener, Smith made his team debut against 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 ...
in the 20–3 victory. The following game, Smith caught six passes for a season-high 120 receiving yards and a 75-yard touchdown, followed up with a two-point conversion catch during the 49ers 43–18 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
. Smith appeared in all 16 games and started 12 of them. He finished the 2015 season with 33 receptions, 663 receiving yards and four touchdowns, three of his scores having been over 70 yards. He led the league in yards per reception with 20.1.


2016 season

On December 11, in Week 14, Smith suffered a concussion after hitting his head hard on the turf with his helmet on during a 23–17 loss to the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
. He was placed on injured reserve on December 23, 2016. He finished the 2016 season with 20 receptions for 267 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in 12 games. On March 7, 2017, Smith was released by the 49ers.


Philadelphia Eagles

On March 9, 2017, Smith signed a three-year, $15 million contract with 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 ...
with second and third-year options at the same salary. The signing reunited him with former teammates Corey Graham and Dannell Ellerbe. On September 10, 2017, in the season-opening 30–17 victory over the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, Smith made his Eagles debut. On October 8, 2017, Smith caught a 59-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Carson Wentz, marking his first touchdown as a member of the Eagles, in the 34–7 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
. The Eagles finished the season 13–3 to earn the #1 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. Smith finished the season with 36 catches for 430 yards and two touchdowns. In the Divisional Round 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 ...
, Smith recorded three catches for 39 yards in a 15–10 victory. In the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
against the 2017 Minnesota Vikings season, Minnesota Vikings, Smith had five catches for 69 yards and caught a touchdown pass in the 38–7 victory. The Eagles advanced to their third Super Bowl in franchise history where they defeated the 2017 New England Patriots season, New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII. Smith caught five passes for 49 yards, earning his second Super Bowl ring.


Carolina Panthers

On March 14, 2018, the Eagles traded Smith to 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 ...
for cornerback Daryl Worley. He played in 11 games with six starts, recording 17 catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Smith was released on September 1, 2019, and announced his retirement two days later.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Ravens franchise records

Career: * Yards per reception (minimum 200 receptions), regular season: 17.4 * Yards per reception (minimum ten receptions), playoffs: 20.7 Rookie Season (2011): * Receptions: 50 * Receiving yards per game: 52.6 * Receiving touchdowns: 7 (shared with
Marlon Brown Marlon D. Brown (born April 22, 1991) is an American former professional American football, football wide receiver. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at Georgia Bulldogs football, ...
and Marquise Brown) * Games with 100+ yards receiving: 2 * Games with 3+ total touchdowns: 1 Single game, rookie: * Receiving yards: 165 (November 20, 2011, against the Cincinnati Bengals) * Receiving touchdowns: 3 (September 25, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * Total touchdowns: 3 (September 25, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams)


Post-football career and honors

Smith founded the non-profit Torrey Smith Foundation (TSF), whose mission is to provide support to at-risk youth with physical, educational, and financial challenges, and to focus on the enhancement of lives of those affected by domestic violence. It sponsors back-to-school and after-school activities, STEM camps, charitable basketball games and holiday meal and gift programs, among other activities. The TSF's website states its goals as: Education of youth on subjects useful to the individual and beneficial to the community, Increasing the awareness of financial and hands on support needed in the fight against domestic violence and supporting other organizations conducting charitable activities that align with the TSF mission. For the past two years, Torrey has participated in the Madieu Williams Football Camp, a free camp held by the former Bengals and Vikings safety for kids ages 6–14. In March 2013, Smith worked as an intern for Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, working out of Baltimore. On March 28, 2013, the Ravens picked Smith to represent the team at the Maryland State capital in Annapolis. Smith, along with Ravens' president Dick Cass spoke to the assembled members of the Maryland House of Delegates and then the Maryland State Senate. While a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, Smith was the team's nominee for that year's Walter Payton award for his community involvement. In 2019, his hometown, Colonial Beach named a park whose restoration and expansion he had funded in Smith's honor. In 2020, the Library of Virginia announced Smith as one of its Strong Men & Women in Virginia History, based on his continuing philanthropic work. In December 2020, Smith joine
Rose Health
as an Investor and Brand Ambassador to promote mental health resilience. Rose Health is one of the fastest growing mental health platforms in the United States. Smith has said "the sky is the limit" as to Rose's potential for growth. Smith also said the Rose app has helped him with his own mental health, including figuring out his strengths and weaknesses and how to build his mental health resilience.


Personal life

On September 23, 2012, Smith lost his 19-year-old brother in a motorcycle accident. Tevin Chris Jones was riding on Virginia State Route 672, SR 672 in Westmoreland County, Virginia, when he ran off the right side of the roadway and struck a utility pole, according to the Virginia State Police. He was pronounced dead at the scene. He was wearing a helmet, and alcohol was not a factor. Smith has established a college scholarship fund to assist low-income youth from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia in honor of his late brother. Smith left the Ravens' hotel on Sunday at 2 a.m. ET, accompanied by a member of the Ravens' security staff, to be with his family. Smith told Ravens coach John Harbaugh that he wanted to play in that night's game against the New England Patriots. Harbaugh told him that it was Smith's call to make. Smith chose to play, and finished the game with 6 receptions for 127 yards and two touchdowns in a 31–30 win over the New England Patriots. Smith married his longtime girlfriend, Chanel Williams, on July 11, 2013. The two met at the University of Maryland, where Williams ran track and Smith played football. On September 30, 2013, Smith Twitter, tweeted that his wife was pregnant. On April 4, 2014, Chanel gave birth to their first child, a son named Torrey "TJ" Jeremiah. Torrey's second son, Kameron James, was born on June 22, 2016. The Smiths' third child, daughter Kori Lynn Smith, was born on December 18, 2018.


References


External links

*
Maryland Terrapins bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Torrey 1989 births Living people People from Colonial Beach, Virginia Sportspeople from Fredericksburg, Virginia Players of American football from Virginia American football wide receivers American football return specialists Maryland Terrapins football players Baltimore Ravens players San Francisco 49ers players Philadelphia Eagles players Carolina Panthers players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen