Chris Smith (tight end)

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Chris Smith
No. 94
PositionTight end
MajorBusiness Management
Personal information
Born: (1966-06-27) June 27, 1966 (age 57)
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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Season Receiving
Year Team GP GS Rec Yds Avg TD Lng
1987 BYU – – – – – – –
1988 BYU 12 1 9 121 13.4 1 –
1989 BYU 13 13 60 1,090 18.2 5 –
1990 BYU 13 13 68 1,156 17.0 2 –
Career 48 27 137 2,367 17.3 8 –

Professional career[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

  1. ^ "Chris Smith profile". NFL.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harmon, Dick (December 8, 2005). "Dick Harmon: Smith's tight end record at BYU has finally fallen". DeseretNews.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "Chris Smith Athlete Profile". BYUCougars.com. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
  4. ^ a b "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.

External links[edit]

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