Le Kevin Smith (born July 21, 1982) is a former
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 wi ...
defensive tackle 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), 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
USA Today
''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...
Georgia Player of the Year and was a
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel.
History
Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
All-American. He also
lettered
Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...
in
track and field
Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
, 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
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...
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-
Big 12
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its f ...
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
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 ...
. 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
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 ...
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