 Smith with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane in 2007 | |
| No. 12 | |
|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1984-07-02)July 2, 1984 (age 41) Owasso, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 208 lb (94 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Owasso |
| College | Tulsa |
| NFL draft | 2008: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Paul Smith (born July 2, 1984) is an American former professionalgridiron footballquarterback. He playedcollege football for theTulsa Golden Hurricane. Smith was signed by theJacksonville Jaguars of theNational Football League (NFL) as an undrafted free agent in 2008.
Smith attendedDeer Creek High School inEdmond, Oklahoma for two years, then finished high school atOwasso High School inOwasso, Oklahoma. He set a state high school passing record with 9,574 yards in 4 seasons.[1]
Arriving at Tulsa in 2003, Smith played in eight games as a true freshman. He sat out the 2004 season as aredshirt, then became the Golden Hurricane's starting quarterback in 2005. He led Tulsa to a 9–4 record and theConference USA title.[2] He capped off the 2005 season with a 31–24 win overFresno State in the2005 Liberty Bowl (Tulsa's first bowl win since 1991); Smith passed for 234 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for the winning touchdown. Smith was named the game's most valuable player.[3]
In 2006, Smith was tagged as one ofConference USA's top quarterbacks in preseason, along with such players as futurePhiladelphia Eagles quarterbackKevin Kolb, and was widely recognized as the leader and face of the Tulsa football program. In Tulsa's scheme, Smith threw manyscreen passes torunning backs Tarrion Adams, Courtney Tennial, andwide receiver Idris Moss. The Golden Hurricane jumped out to a stellar 7–1 start with the inside track on a second straight West Division championship, but the team experienced a breakdown amid turmoil resulting from rumors of teams trying to woo awaycoachSteve Kragthorpe. Tulsa lost its contest againstUtah in theArmed Forces Bowl 25–13, making their season record stand at 8–5.
In 2007, Smith led the Golden Hurricane to a 10–4 record and a win in the2008 GMAC Bowl while also winning the 2007 Conference USA player of the year award[4] In 2007, Smith won theWuerffel Trophy which goes to the top humanitarian incollege football[5] and was a finalist for theDraddy Trophy. He was also selected to play in the 2008 CornerstoneHula Bowl, where he passed for 47 yards and ran for the game's first two touchdowns for the winning Aina (East) team.[6]
A three-yearstarter with the Golden Hurricane, Smith threw a combined 83touchdownpasses while taking his team to 3 straightbowl appearances. Smith holds theNCAA record with 14 consecutive games passing for more than 300 yards.[7] Smith also shares in anNCAA record as the only team to have a 5,000 yard passer, three 1,000 yard receivers, and a 1,000 rusher in the same season.[7]
Smith was not selected in the2008 NFL draft and was signed as anundrafted free agent by theJacksonville Jaguars on April 28. Jacksonville immediately waived their third-team quarterback, allowing Smith to take his spot on the roster.
On July 31, 2008, Smith was waived by the Jaguars. On August 31, Smith was re-signed to the Jaguars'practice squad.[8] He was waived on August 30, 2009, to make room on the roster forTodd Boeckman.
In October 2009, Smith took a position as assistant chaplain at the University of Tulsa, apparently ending his playing career.[9]
After spending the next year out of football and briefly taking a position as a financial consultant, Smith signed a two-year contract with theMontreal Alouettes of the CFL on February 2, 2011.[1] He was released during training camp by the Alouettes.