Le Kevin Smith (born July 21, 1982) is a former

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defensive tackle of the

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(NFL), who played five seasons from 2006-2010. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the

2006 NFL Draft The 2006 National Football League Draft, the 71st in league history, took place in New York City, New York, at Radio City Music Hall on April 29 and April 30, 2006. For the 27th consecutive year, the draft was telecast on ESPN and ESPN2, with add ...

. Smith was a member of the Patriots' 2007 16-0 team and recorded half a sack during Super Bowl XLII. He ended his NFL career in 2010 with the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

. He played college football at

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

Early years

Smith attended Stratford Academy in Macon, Georgia, where he helped Stratford win three Class 3A titles state titles as a defensive lineman. He was the

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Georgia Player of the Year and was a

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All-American. He also

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, winning four state titles in the discus and two in the shot put. It is noted that during his senior year, the ''Macon Telegraph'' called him the "real deal" after he dominated rival Tattnall Square Academy's star center Brandon Dillard.

College career

After graduating from high school, Smith attended the

University of Nebraska A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

. After

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ing in 2001, Smith played in all 14 games in 2002. As a sophomore in 2003, Smith started all 12 games at defensive tackle, recording 44 tackles. He moved to

nose guard A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the l ...

in 2004, and was an All-

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honorable mention after recording 43 tackles and 2.5 sacks. In his 2005 senior season, Smith set a career high with six sacks while starting all 11 games at defensive tackle. He finished his college career with 36 tackles for a loss, the second-highest total for a defensive lineman in Nebraska history. Smith graduated with a degree in Construction Management.

Professional career

New England Patriots

Smith was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round (206th overall) in the

. He was inactive or did not play in all but three games of his rookie season in 2006. He appeared in 13 games in 2007, seeing time as a reserve defensive lineman and 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 ...

. Smith was active for 15 games in 2007, recording a career-high 14 tackles. He also was a member of the Patriots' kickoff return unit, which blocked for

Ellis Hobbs Ellis Hue Hobbs III (born May 16, 1983) is a former American football cornerback who played for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Iowa State. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the third ...

' 96-yard return against the Oakland Raiders in Week 15. The biggest play of his career came during Super Bowl XLII when Smith recorded half a sack on Eli Manning. Smith recorded a career high 14 tackles during the 2008 season. On August 17, 2009, Smith's career as a Patriot came to an end when he was traded to the Denver Broncos on the last day of training camp. Smith ended his career with the Patriots totaling 28 tackles and 1 fumble recovery in 31 games played.

Denver Broncos

Smith was acquired by the

on August 17, 2009 along with a seventh-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft for the Broncos' fifth-round pick in the 2010 draft. Smith recorded 10 tackles and 1 sack during the 2009 season. He was released on September 7, 2010, re-signed in late October before being cut once more on November 9.

Retirement

During the 2011 lockout, Smith went to his doctor for a "random MRI test". Unfortunately, the doctor told Smith that he had sustained a neck injury and found 3 bulging spinal disc and spinal cord damage at his C3/C4. In April 2012 Smith had an Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion. Four months after surgery, Smith fully recovered from the neck fusion. Doctors said he could go back to physical training and exercise, but he could never play football again because he was a lineman and would put himself at too much risk of permanently damaging his spinal cord and cause Tetraplegia (Paralysis from the neck down). Smith informed the NFL about his retirement and is no longer a player for the league.

References

External links

Denver Broncos bioNew England Patriots bioNebraska Cornhuskers bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Le Kevin 1982 births Living people Players of American football from Macon, Georgia American football defensive tackles American football defensive ends Nebraska Cornhuskers football players New England Patriots players Denver Broncos players