| No. 22 | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Running back |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | (1972-07-14)July 14, 1972 (age 52) Casselberry, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) |
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Lake Howell (Winter Park, Florida) |
| College: | UCF |
| NFL draft: | 1996: 5th round, 142nd pick |
| Career history | |
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| Career highlights and awards | |
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Marquette Smith (born July 14, 1972) is a formerAmerican footballrunning back. Mostly known for hisprep andcollege career, he spent two seasons with theCarolina Panthers of theNational Football League (NFL), but knee injuries in successive years during the pre-season kept him off the field.
Smith was an All-American running back atLake Howell High School inWinter Park, Florida. In 1990, he was named High School Football Player of the Year byGatorade, and Offensive Player of the Year byUSA Today. Considered to be the premier recruit in the class of 1991, Smith choseFlorida State overPenn State andFlorida.[1] He could not live up to expectations, and decided to transfer to theUniversity of Central Florida after hisredshirt sophomore season in 1994.[2]
In only two seasons at UCF, Smith rushed for 2,569 yards; through the 2018 season, he is fourth on UCF's list of career rushing yardage leaders, and the only player in the top ten with less than a three-season career at UCF. He is the only player in UCF history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons, and his 1,511 yards (with 14 touchdowns) in 1995 set the school's single-season record (later surpassed byKevin Smith in 2007). Smith earnedsecond team All-America honors in 1995, and was an honorable mention selection on UCF's 25th Anniversary Football Team as compiled by theOrlando Sentinel.[3]
Smith was drafted in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft by Carolina.[4] After his time with the NFL's Panthers, Smith played for theShreveport Knights of the short-livedRegional Football League in 1999.[5]