Omarr Ali Hasan Smith (born April 7, 1977) 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 with ...
defensive back
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
who was most recently the head coach of the
Baltimore Brigade
The Baltimore Brigade was a professional arena football team based in Baltimore, Maryland, that played in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2017 to 2019. The team's home arena was the Royal Farms Arena. The franchise was owned by Monumental Spo ...
of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 season, making it the third longest-running professional football league in ...
(AFL). He played professionally for the
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
of the AFL, and 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
San Jose State
San José State University (San Jose State or SJSU) is a public university in San Jose, California. Established in 1857, SJSU is the oldest public university on the West Coast and the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) sy ...
.
In his career, Smith has played for the San Jose SaberCats twice, from 2000–2002 and 2004–2008. He also played one year (2003) for the
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...
. He has also
coached defensive backs at
Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
. Prior to re-joining the SaberCats, Smith served as defensive coordinator with the rival
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional indoor American football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League ...
for three years (winning two championships). Smith has won seven total
Arenabowl championships as a player (4) and assistant coach (3); this ties the legendary
Tim Marcum, who won seven as a head coach, for the most in AFL history. Smith was the head coach of the
Los Angeles KISS of the AFL in 2016 and currently coaches the Baltimore Brigade.
Early years
Smith attended
Bishop Montgomery High School
Bishop Montgomery High School (commonly referred to as "BMHS" or simply "Bishop" by students) is a Catholic high school serving twenty-five parishes in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles. BMHS was founded in 1957, and staffed by the S ...
in
Torrance, California
Torrance is a city in the Los Angeles metropolitan area located in Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. The city is part of what is known as the South Bay (Los Angeles County), South Bay region of the m ...
. While there, he
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
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
,
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and
track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the shorte ...
. He was a three-time all-league and two-time all-area grid choice.
College career
Smith played four years at San Jose State University and had 13 career
interception
In ball-playing competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for a player of the same team b ...
s, the second-most in school history. He joined the team as a
walk-on
Walk On may refer to:
Music
* ''Walk On'', a 1994 album by Boston, and its title song
Albums
* ''Walk On'' (Boston album), 1994
* ''Walk On'' (John Hiatt album), 1995
* ''Walk On'' (Randy Johnston album), 1992
*''Walk On'', a 2007 album by ...
in 1995 and was assigned to cover
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson (born July 22, 1972) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eleven seasons.
He played college football for the University of Southern Calif ...
in his first collegiate
start
Start can refer to multiple topics:
*Takeoff, the phase of flight where an aircraft transitions from moving along the ground to flying through the air
* Starting lineup in sports
*Standing start, and rolling start, in an auto race
Acronyms
*St ...
.
He led San Jose State with nine passes broken up in 1996 and 16 in 1997. He tied for second in the nation in 1997 with seven interceptions
and tied a school record with three interceptions against the
University of Hawaii
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, th ...
. Smith returned 22
punts for 246 yards and was the only player in
Division I-A
The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As ...
to rank in the top-30 in both interceptions and
punt return
In gridiron football, a punt is a kick performed by dropping the ball from the hands and then kicking the ball before it hits the ground. The most common use of this tactic is to punt the ball downfield to the opposing team, usually on the final d ...
s. He had an 84-yard
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
return at
UTEP
The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stude ...
in 1997 and an 88-yard punt return for a touchdown against
Fresno State
California State University, Fresno (Fresno State) is a public university in Fresno, California. It is one of 23 campuses in the California State University system. The university had a fall 2020 enrollment of 25,341 students. It offers bachelo ...
in 1998. Smith had 74
tackles
Tackle may refer to:
* In football:
** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football
** Tackle (gridiron football position), a position in American football and Canadian football
** Dump tackle, a forceful move in rugby of picking up ...
as a sophomore, third-most on the team, and ended his career with 182 career tackles.
Professional career
2000
In
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
, Smith played in eight games at
WR/
DB as a
rookie
A rookie is a person new to an occupation, profession, or hobby. In sports, a ''rookie'' is a professional athlete in their first season (or year).
In contrast with a veteran who has experience and expertise, a rookie is usually inexperienced ...
. He posted 16 tackles, five passes broken up and five
receptions for 48 yards. All five receptions on the season came in two games. He made his AFL debut with two tackles against the
Houston Thunderbears
The Houston ThunderBears were a professional arena football team based in Houston, Texas. The team finished the 2001 season as a member of the Western Division of the American Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team joined the A ...
. Had his first career reception and totaled two for the game with two pass break-ups against the
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers were an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California, from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.
History
The Los Angeles Avengers played their home games at the Staples Center, which is also th ...
. He recorded 2.5 tackles (a tackle for a loss) and a season-high three pass break-ups against the
New England Sea Wolves
The Toronto Phantoms were a professional arena football team based in Toronto, Ontario. The team was a member of the Eastern Division of the National Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team also previously operated in New York Ci ...
. Smith had three receptions for 32 yards at the
Grand Rapids Rampage
The Grand Rapids Rampage was an arena football team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The team began play in 1998 in the Arena Football League as an expansion team. They were last coached by Steve Thonn. Their home arena was the Van Andel Arena.
...
. He recorded a season-high five solo tackles on the road against the Avengers.
2001
In
2001
The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
, Smith was one of just four players to participate in all 14 games that season. He recorded a team-leading four interceptions and was fourth with 37 tackles earning team defensive MVP honors. He returned his first career interception 45-yards for his first career touchdown against the
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional indoor American football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League ...
. Smith missed a portion of the game after taking a knee to the helmet in Houston. He had his first catch of the season against the
Oklahoma Wranglers
The Oklahoma Wranglers were a professional arena football team based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. They were members of the Central (1996–1997) and Western (1998–2001) Division of the American Conference of the Arena Football League (AFL). The ...
. He had his second career interception and returned a blocked
extra point
The conversion, try (American football, also known as a point(s) after touchdown, PAT, or (depending on the number of points) extra point/2-point conversion), or convert (Canadian football) occurs immediately after a touchdown during which the sc ...
attempt for the first two-point defensive point after try in league history at the
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were a professional arena football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Dragons participated in the Arena Football League's (AFL) National Conference as a member of the Eastern Division. The team was founded in ...
. Smith made his first-career start at
Defensive Specialist
In arena football, a specialist was a player, other than a quarterback or placekicker, who was exempt from the league's one-platoon system ("Iron Man"). Under the original Arena football system, six of the eight players on each team were required t ...
(DS) intercepting an
Andy Kelly pass late in the game, leading to a game-tying
field goal
A field goal (FG) is a means of scoring in gridiron football. To score a field goal, the team in possession of the ball must place kick, or drop kick, the ball through the goal, i.e., between the uprights and over the crossbar. The entire ba ...
in a game that the San Jose SaberCats won in
overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:
*by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
against the
Nashville Kats
The Nashville Kats were an Arena Football League team, located in Nashville, Tennessee. They were last coached by Pat Sperduto, who coached the team's original incarnation to two ArenaBowl appearances prior to the original franchise's move to A ...
. He recorded career-highs of four catches for 86 yards and added his fourth career interception against the
Florida Bobcats
The Florida Bobcats were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Sunrise, Florida. They were previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters, and played in the AFL for a total of ten seasons, the last seven in West Palm Beach ...
. Smith had the first two missed field goal returns of his career against the Thunderbears..
2001 playoffs
Smith played in both San Jose playoff games. He appeared in his first AFL playoff game replacing the injured Anthony Cobbs at DS against the Rattlers. He recorded 5.5 tackles and a pass break-up in Nashville.
2002
In
2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
, Smith played in all 14 games for a second straight season. He earned
ArenaBowl XVI game Ironman honors. He set single-season career-highs with 15 receptions for 234 yards finishing fifth on the team. He finished second on team with 49.5 tackles and eight passes broken up. Smith started at DS and recorded a career-high 8.5 tackles and matched his career-best with seven solo tackles at the
Tampa Bay Storm
The Tampa Bay Storm were a professional arena football team based in Tampa, Florida, US. It played in the Arena Football League (AFL). Originally the team was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and operated as the Pittsburgh Gladiators. The f ...
. He had his first catch of the season against the
Georgia Force
The Georgia Force was an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Gwinnett County, Georgia, United States (part of suburban Atlanta) that played in the South Division of the American Conference. The team was owned by Doug MacGregor and Donn Je ...
. He was named the Ironman of the Game against the
Los Angeles Avengers
The Los Angeles Avengers were an Arena Football League team based in Los Angeles, California, from 2000 through 2008. They folded on April 19, 2009.
History
The Los Angeles Avengers played their home games at the Staples Center, which is also th ...
after recording two catches for 43 yards and a touchdown and five tackles along with a pass break up. He had his fifth career interception, and second returned for a touchdown on the road against the
Orlando Predators
The Orlando Predators were a professional arena football team based in Orlando, Florida and member of the Arena Football League (AFL). The team was most recently owned by Orlando Predators LLC, a company owned by David A. Siegel, and played its ...
. Smith recorded a career-long 37-yard reception on the road against the
Buffalo Destroyers
Buffalo most commonly refers to:
* Bubalina, including most "Old World" buffalo, such as water buffalo
* Bison, including the American buffalo
* Buffalo, New York
Buffalo or buffaloes may also refer to:
Animals
* Bubalina, a subtribe of the tr ...
. He had the 20th reception of his career in Los Angeles. He was named Ironman of the Game after recording a 34-yard touchdown catch, his sixth career interception, and five tackles and two pass break ups against the
Chicago Rush
The Chicago Rush were a professional arena football team based in Rosemont, Illinois
Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located immediately northwest of Chicago, as of the 2010 census it had a population of 4,20 ...
. Smith recorded a season-high three receptions against the
Indiana Firebirds
The Indiana Firebirds were a team in the Arena Football League. The team was based in Indianapolis, Indiana. Home games were played at the Conseco Fieldhouse, also the home of the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association and Indiana ...
.
2002 playoffs
He caught three passes for 37 yards and had an interception for game Ironman against the Predators.
Smith started
ArenaBowl XVI and was named the game's Ironman after rushing twice for nine yards, catching four passes for 34 yards and totaling five tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery against the Rattlers.
2003
In
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, Smith started all 16 games at DS for the Storm. He led the team with 88.5 tackles, eight interceptions and 18 pass broken up to earn second-team All-AFL honors. He had an interception in four straight games. Smith equaled his career-high with seven solo tackles and recorded an interception in his first game with the Storm against the
Carolina Cobras
The Carolina Cobras were an expansion franchise in the Arena Football League. The team was formed prior to the 2000 season, which endured a player strike.
The team was originally based in Raleigh, North Carolina, but moved to Charlotte followin ...
. He had a career-high two fumble recoveries on the road against the
Las Vegas Gladiators
{{Cat main, Thomas & Mack Center
Paradise, Nevada
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Wikipedia categories named after buildings and structures in the United States
Wikipedia categories named after sports venues ...
. He matched a career-high with seven solo tackles against the
Detroit Fury
The Detroit Fury were an arena football team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan.
History
The team was a member of the Arena Football League from 2001 to 2004 and played at The Palace of Auburn Hills, also the home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons. The ...
. Smith recorded the ninth and 10th interceptions of his career with his first ever two-interception game in
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. He had an interception, two passes broken up and six tackles, all against the
Force
In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...
. He was named game MVP after two pass break-ups and an interception in Carolina. He had his third career interception return touchdown against the
Colorado Crush
The Colorado Crush were an arena football team based in Denver, Colorado. They began play as a 2003 Arena Football League expansion team. The Crush played in the Central Division of the American Conference until the Arena Football League suspend ...
. He intercepted his eighth pass of the season giving him an interception in four straight games on the road against the
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were a professional arena football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Dragons participated in the Arena Football League's (AFL) National Conference as a member of the Eastern Division. The team was founded in ...
.
2004
Smith re-signed with the
San Jose SaberCats
The San Jose SaberCats were a professional arena football team based in San Jose, California. The SaberCats had been members of the Arena Football League (AFL) since 1995 (the year in which the team was founded); and until 2015, they belonged to ...
on November 7, 2003.
In
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
, Smith, returning to San Jose, played in 15 games at
DS earning first-team All-AFL honors, and became just the fourth player in team history with 100 solo tackles.. He led the team with 83 total tackles (71 solo). He tied for first in the AFL with a career-high nine interceptions. He was the team leader and tied for fourth in the AFL with 14 passes broken up and 23 passes defended. Smith was named the AFL's Defensive Player of the Week (Week One). He set career-highs with five assisted tackles and five pass break-ups on the road against the
Fury. Smith was inactive with a
hamstring
In human anatomy, a hamstring () is any one of the three posterior thigh muscles in between the hip and the knee (from medial to lateral: semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). The hamstrings are susceptible to injury.
In quadrupeds, ...
injury, the only game he missed all season, on the road against the
New York Dragons
The New York Dragons were a professional arena football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Dragons participated in the Arena Football League's (AFL) National Conference as a member of the Eastern Division. The team was founded in ...
. He recorded the 100th solo tackle of his San Jose career against the Crush. He was named the Defensive Player of the Game after returning an interception 48-yards for a touchdown against the
Las Vegas Gladiators
{{Cat main, Thomas & Mack Center
Paradise, Nevada
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Wikipedia categories named after buildings and structures in the United States
Wikipedia categories named after sports venues ...
. Smith moved into fifth place on team's all-time list with his 11th career San Jose interception on the road against the
Dallas Desperados
The Dallas Desperados were a professional arena football team based in Dallas, Texas. The Desperados played in the Eastern Division of the Arena Football League from 2002 to 2008.
The franchise began play in as an expansion team, and have post ...
. He was named Defensive Player of the Game after recording an interception in his third straight game against the
Rush
Rush(es) may refer to:
Places
United States
* Rush, Colorado
* Rush, Kentucky
* Rush, New York
* Rush City, Minnesota
* Rush Creek (Kishwaukee River tributary), Illinois
* Rush Creek (Marin County, California), a stream
* Rush Creek (Mono Cou ...
. He recorded his single-season career-high ninth interception on the road against the Gladiators.
2004 playoffs
In the 2004 playoffs, Smith won his third straight championship. He started all 3 games at DS. He set a team single-game playoff record for total tackles (10.5) and solo tackles (10) in
ArenaBowl XVIII.
2005
In
2005
File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discovered in ...
, Smith started at DS for the first three games of the season before sustaining a season-ending knee injury. He recorded 20.5 tackles (18 solo), an interception and four passes broken up for the season. He became just the third player in team history to record 200 career tackles. Smith recorded his 16th career interception as a SaberCat (24th overall) along with two pass break-ups to earn Defensive Player of the Game against the Gladiators. His season ended when he left the game in the fourth quarter after sustaining a knee injury on the road against the
New Orleans VooDoo
Louisiana Voodoo (french: Vaudou louisianais, es, Vudú de Luisiana), also known as New Orleans Voodoo, is an African diasporic religion which originated in Louisiana, now in the southern United States. It arose through a process of syncretis ...
. The SaberCats placed him on
Injured Reserve
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
(IR) on February 17, 2005 with a ruptured
patellar tendon
The patellar tendon is the distal portion of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris, which is continued from the patella to the tibial tuberosity. It is also sometimes called the patellar ligament as it forms a bone to bone connection when t ...
missing the remainder of the season.
2006
In
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, Smith returned from a serious knee injury and played and started 11 games at DS, including the final 10 regular season games. He began the season on
IR recovering from the knee surgery. He totaled 41 tackles (38 solo), three passes broken up and two forced fumbles. He had three interceptions on the season giving him 27 in his career and 19 as a SaberCat. Smith returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns giving him the team's career lead. He started at DS in his first game since sustaining a knee injury in New Orleans on February 13, 2005, on the road against the
Rattlers. He returned to the lineup after being inactive for three games starting at DS against the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
. In
Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and shallow estuary connected to the Gulf of Mexico on the west-central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, McKay Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay. The largest freshwater in ...
, he recorded his 25th career interception which he returned 16 yards for a touchdown, his fifth career interception returned for a touchdown, to earn Defensive Player of the Game. Smith recorded his 18th interception of his San Jose career (26th overall) moving into fourth place on the team's career list, against the
Austin Wranglers
The Austin Wranglers were an arena football team based in Austin, Texas. They played four seasons in the Arena Football League from 2004 to 2007 and spent one season in af2, the AFL's developmental league, in 2008. They made playoff appearances i ...
. He broke a tie with
Greg Hopkins
Greg Hopkins (born November 16, 1971) is a former Arena Football League wide receiver/linebacker with the Albany Firebirds and the Los Angeles Avengers.
High school career
Greg Hopkins was born in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, United States. He a ...
for sole possession of 20th place on the AFL's all-time career interception list with his 27th that he returned 42 yards for a touchdown, his fifth career interception return for a touchdown with San Jose (sixth overall) giving him the team's all-time lead, against the
Crush.
2006 playoffs
Smith started both games at DS. He was named Defensive Player of the Game after his fifth career playoff interception (third as a SaberCat), five tackles and a pass broken up against the Rattlers. He had 3.5 tackles, a pass break-up and a fumble recovery against the Rush.
2007
In
2007
File:2007 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Steve Jobs unveils Apple's first iPhone; TAM Airlines Flight 3054 overruns a runway and crashes into a gas station, killing almost 200 people; Former Pakistani Prime Minister of Pakistan, Pr ...
, Smith started all 16 games at DB. He set team season records for most solo tackles (79) and total tackles (87.5). He tied Pat McGuirk for second on the team's career interception list with 24. Smith recorded 17 pass break-ups for the year to move into third place on the team's career list with 55. He recorded his 400th career total tackle, 365th career solo tackle, 100th career assisted tackle and 100th defended pass. He returned two of his five interceptions for touchdowns giving him eight for his career. He had the seventh longest fumble return in AFL history with 47-yards for a touchdown in a game against the
Predators
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill the ...
. He recorded his 300th career solo tackle on the road against the
Avengers
Avenger, Avengers, The Avenger, or The Avengers may refer to:
Arts and entertainment In the Marvel Comics universe
* Avengers (comics), a team of superheroes
**Avengers (Marvel Cinematic Universe), a central team of protagonist superheroes of ...
. He recorded his 350th career total tackle on the road against the
Force
In physics, a force is an influence that can change the motion of an object. A force can cause an object with mass to change its velocity (e.g. moving from a state of rest), i.e., to accelerate. Force can also be described intuitively as a p ...
. Smith recorded his 20th career interception as a SaberCat, 28th overall, against the Crush. He recorded his 29th career interception and 330th career solo tackle, against the Avengers. He played in his 90th career regular season AFL game at the Arizona Rattlers on May 5, 2007. He returned his 30th career interception 50-yards for a touchdown, the third longest return in team history, against the Gladiators. Smith moved into a tie for 17th place all-time with his 31st career interception earning Defensive Player of the Game honors against the
Rampage. He recorded his 400th career total tackle, on the road against the
Kats. He had two pass break-ups, giving him 100 passes defended for his career, on the road at the
Utah Blaze
The Utah Blaze was a professional arena football team based in Salt Lake City, Utah and competed in the West Division (AFL), West Division of the Arena Football League. Home games were played at the EnergySolutions Arena. In 2013, the team did ...
. Smith had his 24th career interception as a SaberCat, tying Pat McGuirk for second place on team's career list, and returned it 36-yards for a touchdown, his eighth career interception returned for a touchdown and a team record seventh with San Jose, against the
Rattlers. He recorded a season-high three pass break-ups in Las Vegas.
2007 playoffs
Smith started all three playoff games. He recorded nine tackles, his sixth career playoff interception and two pass break ups and earned Defensive Player of the Game in the SaberCats
ArenaBowl XXI
ArenaBowl XXI was the 2007 championship game of the Arena Football League and was played at the New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, July 29, 2007. It was the third-ever neutral site title game in league's history and the first h ...
win over the
Columbus Destroyers
The Columbus Destroyers were an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Columbus, Ohio, with home games in Nationwide Arena. The team was founded in as the Buffalo Destroyers, based in Buffalo, New York, and relocated to Columbus in . They fold ...
.
2008
In
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, Smith began the season tied for second on the team's all-time interceptions list with 24. His 32 career interceptions were good for a 16th place tie on the AFL's chart. Smith posted three interceptions in the American Conference championship game, setting a SaberCats record for postseason play; this matched his interception total from the regular season.
Coaching career
College
Smith spent time as the defensive backs coach at
Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
and
Phoenix College
Phoenix College (PC) is a public community college in Encanto, Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1920, it is one of the oldest community colleges in the country.
History
The college was originally a part of the Phoenix Union High School and Junio ...
.
Arkansas Twisters
Smith was the defensive backs coach of the
Arkansas Twisters
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
of the
af2
The AF2 (often styled as af2, and short for arenafootball2) was the Arena Football League's developmental league; it was founded in 1999 and played its first season in 2000. Like its parent AFL, the AF2 played using the same arena football ru ...
in 2009.
Arizona Rattlers
Smith served as the defensive coordinator for the
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional indoor American football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Indoor Football League (IFL). The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team in the Arena Football League ...
from 2010 to 2013.
San Jose SaberCats
In November 2013, Smith joined the SaberCats as assistant head coach. He was the assistant head coach from 2014 to 2015.
He was also the team's offensive coordinator in 2014.
Los Angeles KISS
On November 4, 2015, Smith was named the head coach of the
Los Angeles KISS. The team folded after the 2016 season.
Baltimore Brigade
On December 14, 2016, Smith was named the
Baltimore Brigade
The Baltimore Brigade was a professional arena football team based in Baltimore, Maryland, that played in the Arena Football League (AFL) from 2017 to 2019. The team's home arena was the Royal Farms Arena. The franchise was owned by Monumental Spo ...
's first head coach.
Head coaching record
Personal life
One of Smith's cousins is former
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
Tim McDonald
Timothy McDonald (born January 6, 1965) is a former college and professional American football player who was a strong safety in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. McDonald played college footbal ...
.
Smith has coached
defensive backs
In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
at
Whittier College
Whittier College (Whittier Academy (1887–1901)) is a private liberal arts college in Whittier, California. It is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and, as of fall 2022, had approximately 1,300 (undergraduate and graduate) students. It was ...
. He has expressed a desire for a post-football career in broadcasting.
He has covered various
high school football
High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
and
volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Summ ...
games and some
junior college
A junior college (sometimes referred to colloquially as a juco, JuCo or JC) is a post-secondary educational institution offering vocational training designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations and workers in su ...
football games in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
. Smith enjoys bowling and has partnered with teammates for a weekly outing during the season.
References
External links
San Jose SaberCats profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Omarr
1977 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Chicago
Players of American football from Chicago
San Jose State Spartans football players
American football defensive backs
San Jose SaberCats players
Tampa Bay Storm players
Whittier Poets football coaches
Texas Revolution coaches
Arizona Rattlers coaches
San Jose SaberCats coaches
Los Angeles Kiss coaches
Baltimore Brigade coaches
Junior college football coaches in the United States