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Aaron Smith (American football)
Encyclopedia
Aaron Douglas Smith is a professional
American football
player with the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the National Football League
. He plays left defensive end
in a 3-4 defensive alignment.
by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round, 109th pick overall, of the 1999 NFL draft
. Smith played in every Steelers' game at left defensive end from 2000 through 2006. Smith has been considered an ideal defensive end in Pittsburgh's 3-4 defense
. Smith won a Super Bowl ring
with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL
, during the 2005 season. He recorded four tackles throughout the game. After the 2008 season, Smith won another ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII
.
On February 27, 2007, the Steelers resigned Smith to a 5 year, US$
25 million contract. Through the 2007 season
, Smith ranks ninth all-time on the Steelers sacks list. After missing parts of three games with a knee injury early in the 2007 season, Smith missed the last four games due to a torn biceps muscle while playing against the New England Patriots
in early December. Smith made a full recovery from the injury and returned to his starting position in 2008, recording 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
In 2009, Smith played in Pittsburgh's first five games before sustaining a torn rotator cuff
in an Oct. 10 win over the Detroit Lions. On Oct. 14, the Steelers placed Smith on the injured reserve list, ending his 2009 season. He was hurt again in 2010, playing in only 6 games, replaced by Ziggy Hood. In 2011 he played 5 games before being placed on the injury reserve list for a neck injury. This makes it the third time in three years that he has been placed on the injury reserve list.
. Smith was a consensus All-State selection at Sierra ( Colorado Springs, Colo. ) High, he also lettered in basketball
and was a two-time All-Conference choice in both sports.
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He plays left defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
in a 3-4 defensive alignment.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Smith was draftedNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round, 109th pick overall, of the 1999 NFL draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 17-18, 1999...
. Smith played in every Steelers' game at left defensive end from 2000 through 2006. Smith has been considered an ideal defensive end in Pittsburgh's 3-4 defense
3-4 defense
In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...
. Smith won a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the Steelers in Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL
Super Bowl XL was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League champion for the 2005 season...
, during the 2005 season. He recorded four tackles throughout the game. After the 2008 season, Smith won another ring with the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
.
On February 27, 2007, the Steelers resigned Smith to a 5 year, US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
25 million contract. Through the 2007 season
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
, Smith ranks ninth all-time on the Steelers sacks list. After missing parts of three games with a knee injury early in the 2007 season, Smith missed the last four games due to a torn biceps muscle while playing against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in early December. Smith made a full recovery from the injury and returned to his starting position in 2008, recording 44 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
In 2009, Smith played in Pittsburgh's first five games before sustaining a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
in an Oct. 10 win over the Detroit Lions. On Oct. 14, the Steelers placed Smith on the injured reserve list, ending his 2009 season. He was hurt again in 2010, playing in only 6 games, replaced by Ziggy Hood. In 2011 he played 5 games before being placed on the injury reserve list for a neck injury. This makes it the third time in three years that he has been placed on the injury reserve list.
Personal
He has three brothers named David, Stephan and Kevin Smith. He is married to Jaimie Garcia, and has three daughters: Elliana, Elysia, and Emilia, and two sons named Ezekiel and Elijah. Elijah is currently battling Acute lymphoblastic leukemiaAcute lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a form of leukemia, or cancer of the white blood cells characterized by excess lymphoblasts.Malignant, immature white blood cells continuously multiply and are overproduced in the bone marrow. ALL causes damage and death by crowding out normal cells in the bone...
. Smith was a consensus All-State selection at Sierra ( Colorado Springs, Colo. ) High, he also lettered in basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and was a two-time All-Conference choice in both sports.