John Smith III (born May 13, 1980), commonly known as L. J., which stands for "Little John", is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the

2003 NFL Draft The 2003 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League (NFL) teams selected amateur college football players. The draft is known officially as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting" and has been conducted annually since 1936 NF ...

. 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 ...

at Rutgers.

Early years

In elementary school, he went to Bartle in Highland Park. At Highland Park High School in Highland Park, New Jersey, Smith played both basketball and football. As a senior football linebacker, he posted 11 sacks, 143 tackles, and five interceptions.L.J. Smith profile
, Philadelphia Eagles. Accessed June 9, 2007.

College years

A four-year starter, he finished second in Rutgers history among tight ends with 122 receptions for 1,458 yards and ten touchdowns, surpassed only by

Marco Battaglia Marco Antonio Battaglia (born January 25, 1973) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League who played for five different teams. Battaglia played college football at Rutgers University and was recognized as an All-A ...

. Smith earned All-Big East honors as both a junior and senior, and served as team captain as a senior, leading the Scarlet Knights with a career-high 32 receptions for 384 yards and three touchdowns.

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

Smith was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the

. As a rookie, he backed up

Chad Lewis Chad Wayne Lewis (born October 5, 1971) is a former American football tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams. Early life Lewis grew up in Orem, Utah and played football and ran track at Or ...

, and had 27 receptions for 321 yards and a touchdown. Coach Andy Reid worked Smith and Lewis both into the offense with two tight-end sets, and Smith had 34 receptions, 377 yards and five touchdowns in 2004. That season, the Eagles reached

Super Bowl XXXIX Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Philadelphia Eagles to decide the National Football League ( ...

and Smith made an impressive diving reception in the back of the end zone for the Eagles' first touchdown of the game, though they would go on to lose to the New England Patriots 24-21. With the retirement of Chad Lewis and suspension of Terrell Owens, Smith became one of

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...

's top targets; between 2005 and 2006, Smith led the Eagles in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Entering the final year of his contract in 2007, Smith suffered a hernia injury that could have possibly kept him out for the season. Smith however did recover in time for the season opener, though the injury would limit him for much of the year. Unable to reach an agreement on a long-term deal, the Eagles placed the

franchise tag In the National Football League (NFL), the franchise tag is a designation a team may apply to a player scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent. The tag binds the player to the team for one year if certain conditions are met. Each team has on ...

on Smith for the 2008 season.

Baltimore Ravens

Smith signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens on March 20, 2009. In his lone season in Baltimore (plagued by injuries) Smith had only two catches for 31 yards, and had no starts backing up Todd Heap.

Personal life

Smith was included in the 2005 Chunky Soup commercials featuring

. He enjoys playing basketball and was a tremendous basketball

prospect Prospect may refer to: General * Prospect (marketing), a marketing term describing a potential customer * Prospect (sports), any player whose rights are owned by a professional team, but who has yet to play a game for the team * Prospect (mining ...

who drew interest from a number of Division I programs including Florida State and various schools from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. He currently resides in Longport, New Jersey. He currently owns and operates a Plato's Closet store in Edison, New Jersey. Inspired by his mother, Smith returned to Rutgers and in 2016 completed his undergraduate degree.

References

External links

Ravens Bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, L. J. 1980 births Living people Highland Park High School (New Jersey) alumni People from Highland Park, New Jersey People from Longport, New Jersey American football tight ends Rutgers Scarlet Knights football players Philadelphia Eagles players Baltimore Ravens players Sportspeople from the Delaware Valley Sportspeople from the New York metropolitan area