| No. 20, 26 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Running back | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1972-03-04)March 4, 1972 (age 53) Euclid, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Euclid | ||||||||||||||
| College | Ohio State (1990–1992) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1993: 1st round, 21st overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Robert Scott Smith (born March 4, 1972) is an Americancollege football analyst forFox Sports and theBig Ten Network. He played professionally as arunning back in theNational Football League (NFL) for eight seasons with theMinnesota Vikings, and played college football for theOhio State Buckeyes.
Born and raised inEuclid, Ohio, a suburb on the northeastern border ofCleveland, Smith became the first player to win Ohio'sMr. Football Award twice (in 1988 and 1989).As a junior atEuclid High School, he gained 1,564 yards on 177 rushes (8.8 yards per carry) and averaged 31 yards on 10 punt returns.In his senior season in 1989, he gained 2,042 yards on 203 carries and scored 31 touchdowns and was awarded the Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Atlanta. During his Panthers' career, he rushed for a total of 5,038 yards on 548 carries with 67 touchdowns.[1]
In track and field, Smith posted personal best times of 10.68 seconds in the 100 meters, 21.10 seconds in the 200 meters, and 46.41 seconds in the 400 meters.[2][3][4][5]
Smith narrowed his college choices toMiami,USC,UCLA, andOhio State. In his two seasons with the Buckeyes(1990,1992), Smith ran for a total of 1,945 yards, leading the team both years.As a freshman in 1990, he had a personal-best1,126 yards(88.4 yards per game), and rushed for8 touchdowns.[6]
Smith sat out the1991 football season, switching to atrack and field scholarship, and posted a personal-best time of 10.24 seconds in the100 meters fortheBuckeyes.[6][7] He seriously considered transferring to either USC orStanford in thePac-10 to play football; Ohio State coachJohn Cooper had kept the door open for Smith to return to the Buckeyes' football team, and hedid in 1992.[6]
Smith was selected by theMinnesota Vikings in the first round of the1993 NFL draft, the 21st overall pick.[8] He suffered from a number of ailments in his first few seasons, such as injuries to both knees and ankles along with chicken pox. He finally broke through in1997 with 1,266 yards rushing. Smith's finest year as a pro came in2000 at age 28, leading theNFC in rushing with 1,521 yards. Not long after the season ended, it was discovered during a doctor's appointment that he would need surgery on his knee, which would be the third time he would need it in his career. On February 6, 2001, he announced his retirement.[9][10]
In eight NFL seasons, Smith rushed for 6,818 yards and 32 touchdowns, along with 178 receptions for 1,292 yards and 6 touchdowns, and only nine fumbles. He also returned 1 punt for 4 yards and 19 kickoffs for a total of 460 yards. Smith wore number 20 as a rookie in 1993, but switched to number 26 when it became available in1994 and wore it until his retirement.
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Y/G | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | FR | ||
| 1993 | MIN | 10 | 2 | 82 | 399 | 4.9 | 39.9 | 26 | 2 | 24 | 111 | 4.6 | 12 | 0 | – | – |
| 1994 | MIN | 14 | 0 | 31 | 106 | 3.4 | 7.6 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 105 | 7.0 | 15 | 0 | – | – |
| 1995 | MIN | 9 | 7 | 139 | 632 | 4.5 | 70.2 | 58 | 5 | 7 | 35 | 5.0 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1996 | MIN | 8 | 7 | 162 | 692 | 4.3 | 86.5 | 57 | 3 | 7 | 39 | 5.6 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 1997 | MIN | 14 | 14 | 232 | 1,266 | 5.5 | 90.4 | 78 | 6 | 37 | 197 | 5.3 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1998 | MIN | 14 | 14 | 249 | 1,187 | 4.8 | 84.8 | 74 | 6 | 28 | 291 | 10.4 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1999 | MIN | 13 | 12 | 221 | 1,015 | 4.6 | 78.1 | 70 | 2 | 24 | 166 | 6.9 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2000 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 295 | 1,521 | 5.2 | 95.1 | 72 | 7 | 36 | 348 | 9.7 | 53 | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Career | 98 | 72 | 1,411 | 6,818 | 4.8 | 69.6 | 78 | 32 | 178 | 1,292 | 7.3 | 67 | 6 | 9 | 5 | |
Before retirement, Smith made a cameo appearance in the TV seriesMystery Science Theater 3000, in Season 8 Episode 3The Mole People. He played a scantily clad, mute "hunk" given to Pearl (the series' antagonist) as a present by her minions.
Smith retired after only eight seasons in the NFL. He walked away from the game to pursue a career in medicine as well as to avoid any serious injuries. He has maintained a mostly private life since his retirement. He has mainly appeared as a guest on theESPN news programOutside the Lines, as wellFS1UNDISPUTED as a college football analyst on variousESPN programs alongside regularsRece Davis,Mark May, andLou Holtz. Smith also works on theNFL Network as an analyst and has appeared onThe Score to discuss the NFL.
Smith is the founder and chairman of Fan Huddle, an on-demand wellness platform featuring content hosted by professional athletes and experts.
In May 2016, Smith left ESPN to work for Fox Sports and is currently an NFL game analyst on Fox Sports, paired withChris Myers.
Smith founded the Robert Smith Foundation, a charity whose goal is to "provide financial and moral support for Children's hospitals and cancer research."
2004 saw publication of Smith's bookThe Rest of the Iceberg: An Insider's View on the World of Sport and Celebrity. In it he discussed his background, his time at Ohio State and the NFL, and why he retired. He also analyzed the obsession placed on sports stars by the public.
Smith is one of theamateur astronomers featured inscience writerTimothy Ferris's 2007 PBS program,Seeing in the Dark, based on his 2002 book of the same name.
On ESPN on November 1, 2013, Smith openly admitted to fighting alcoholism during his playing career during an interview onSportsCenter. He explained he sought counseling and has been sober since the birth of his son, and that his family is his daily motivation to stay sober. He also appeared on ESPN'sFirst Take withStephen A. Smith andSkip Bayless talking about his alcoholism.[13]
Smith lives inTexas.
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