Ihmir Smith-Marsette (born August 29, 1999) 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 with ...

wide receiver for 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

(NFL). He played

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

and was drafted by the

Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...

in the fifth round of the

2021 NFL Draft The 2021 NFL Draft was the 86th National Football League Draft, the annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2021 NFL season. The draft was held in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1, 2021 ...

Early life and high school

Smith-Marsette grew up in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.St. Benedict's Preparatory School St. Benedict's Preparatory School is a Catholic college preparatory school in Newark, New Jersey run by the Benedictines. The school serves boys and girls in kindergarten through twelfth grade on a urban campus. The school has been accredite ...

, where he played water polo, before transferring to

Weequahic High School Weequahic High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Weequahic section of Newark in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. The school is operated by the Newar ...

after his freshman year. As a senior, Smith-Marsette had 38 receptions for 773 yards and 13 touchdowns on offense and 43 tackles, three interceptions, and two fumble recoveries on defense and also scored three touchdowns as a return specialist.

College career

Smith-Marsette caught 18 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in his freshman season. As a sophomore he had 28 receptions for 361 yards and two touchdowns. As a junior, Smith-Marsette caught 44 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing for 108 yards and three touchdowns and returned 17 kickoffs for 503 yards and two touchdowns. In a shortened schedule during his senior season, Smith-Marsette recorded 25 receptions for 345 yards and 3 touchdowns with two of those coming in his final college game.

Professional career

Minnesota Vikings

Smith-Marsette was drafted by the

in the fifth round, 157th overall, of the

. He signed his four-year rookie contract on May 13, 2021. In Week 15 against 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 NF ...

, Smith-Marsette recorded his first career receiving touchdown. On August 31, 2022, Smith-Marsette was waived by the Vikings after the acquisition of

Jalen Reagor Jalen Armand Reagor (born January 2, 1999) is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at TCU and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round ...

Chicago Bears

The

claimed Smith-Marsette off waivers on September 1, 2022. Smith-Marsette was waived on October 18.

Kansas City Chiefs

On October 21, 2022, Smith-Marsette was signed to the

Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The tea ...

practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster prior to the season finale against the

Las Vegas Raiders The Las Vegas Raiders are a professional American football team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Raiders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West divis ...

on January 6, 2023. Smith-Marsette became a

Super Bowl champion The Super Bowl is the annual American football game that determines the champion of the National Football League (NFL). The game culminates a season that begins in the previous calendar year, and is the conclusion of the NFL playoffs. The winn ...

when the Chiefs won

Super Bowl LVII Super Bowl LVII is the upcoming championship game of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2022 NFL season. The game is scheduled to be played on February 12, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be the fourth Super B ...

38–35 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 club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...

. He signed a reserve/future contract on February 15, 2023.

Carolina Panthers

On August 29, 2023, Smith-Marsette was traded to the

in exchange for a swap of conditional 2025 seventh-rounders. On November 9, 2023, he returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown, the Panthers' first punt return for a score since 2017.

Legal issues

Smith-Marsette was arrested on November 1, 2020, for operating a vehicle while intoxicated. He was suspended from the team for the following game against Michigan State.

References

External links

Carolina Panthers bioIowa Hawkeyes bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith-Marsette, Ihmir 1999 births Living people American football wide receivers Players of American football from Newark, New Jersey Iowa Hawkeyes football players Minnesota Vikings players Chicago Bears players Kansas City Chiefs players Carolina Panthers players