Chuck Smith (football player)
Encyclopedia
Charles Henry Smith, III (born December 21, 1969 in Athens, Georgia
) is the former Defensive Line Coach at Tennessee
and a former American football
defensive end
in the NFL
.
in Athens, Georgia
, scouts took notice of Smith's natural athletic ability, which earned him a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee
. While at Tennessee, Smith played in both the Sugar
and Fiesta Bowl
and earned Most Valuable Player
honors at the Senior Bowl
.
by the Atlanta Falcons
. For eight seasons in Atlanta from 1992 to 1999, Smith established himself as an All-Pro defensive end and led the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII
. In 2000, Smith left Atlanta to join the Carolina Panthers
. He ended his career there after one season due to multiple surgeries on his right knee.
On February 5, 2010, Chuck Smith accepted a position as Defensive Line coach at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee.
Smith left the Vols coaching staff after a mutual decision between himself and head coach Derek Dooley on February 6, 2011.
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
) is the former Defensive Line Coach at Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and a former 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...
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 the NFL
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...
.
Early career
While attending Clarke Central High SchoolClarke Central High School
Clarke Central High School is located in Athens, Georgia. The school was created in 1970 by the merger of two high schools, Athens High School and Burney-Harris High School , as a result of desegregation....
in Athens, Georgia
Athens, Georgia
Athens-Clarke County is a consolidated city–county in U.S. state of Georgia, in the northeastern part of the state, comprising the former City of Athens proper and Clarke County. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial growth of the city...
, scouts took notice of Smith's natural athletic ability, which earned him a full scholarship to the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. While at Tennessee, Smith played in both the Sugar
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
and Fiesta Bowl
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
and earned Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
honors at the Senior Bowl
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football exhibition game played in Mobile, Alabama which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those collegiate players who have completed their eligibility. First played in 1950 in Jacksonville, Florida, the game moved to Mobile's Ladd Peebles Stadium...
.
Professional career
Smith was selected in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft1992 NFL Draft
The 1992 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 26–27, 1992. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft...
by the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. For eight seasons in Atlanta from 1992 to 1999, Smith established himself as an All-Pro defensive end and led the Falcons to Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. In 2000, Smith left Atlanta to join the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. He ended his career there after one season due to multiple surgeries on his right knee.
Life After Football
Smith worked as a radio host with V 103 in Atlanta. Smith also works as a personal trainer for other football players. He weighs 50 pounds (22.7 kg) less than he did during his football career and has spoken out about the health risks associated with the increasing size of football players.On February 5, 2010, Chuck Smith accepted a position as Defensive Line coach at his alma mater, the University of Tennessee.
Smith left the Vols coaching staff after a mutual decision between himself and head coach Derek Dooley on February 6, 2011.