.jpg) Smith with theDallas Cowboys in 2017 | |||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Linebacker | ||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
| Born | (1995-06-14)June 14, 1995 (age 30) Fort Wayne, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 244 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | Bishop Luers(Fort Wayne, Indiana) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | Notre Dame (2013–2015) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2016: 2nd round, 34th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2023 | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Jaylon Smith (born June 14, 1995) is an American professionalfootballlinebacker. He playedcollege football for theNotre Dame Fighting Irish and was selected 34th overall by theDallas Cowboys in the second round of the2016 NFL draft.
Smith attendedBishop Luers High School inFort Wayne, Indiana, where he was aletterman in football, basketball and track. Infootball, he won theButkus Award as a senior, given to the best high schoollinebacker in the country,[1][2] and was named theMr. Football award winner for the state ofIndiana.
He helpedBishop Luers to a 40–28 win over Indianapolis Cardinal Ritter in the 2012 Indiana 2A title game while rushing for 150 yards and scoring threetouchdowns, as Bishop Luers became first Indiana 2A school to win four straight state titles. He finished with 1,265 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on 176 attempts as senior in 2012 to go with 10receptions for 66 yards and two more touchdowns. Defensively, he recorded 72tackles (43 solo), 19.5tackles for loss, eightsacks, two forcedfumbles, one fumble recovery and sevenpass deflections.
Inbasketball, he played as a freshman, sophomore and junior, and was teammates with former Ohio State basketball playerDeshaun Thomas.
Intrack & field, Smith competed in events ranging from the relays to the shot put as a senior. At the 2013 IHSAA T&F Sectional, he took fourth in theshot put, with a PR of 14.81 meters (48 ft 6 in), and ran the lead leg on first-place 4 × 100 m (43.43) and fourth leg on second-place4 × 400 m (3:27.08).[3] At the 2013 SAC T&F Meet, he anchored the Bishop Luers'4 × 100 m relay team, winning the event with a time of 42.91 seconds, and the 4 × 400 m, which finished in third place, while also placing third in the shot put (47 ft 5 in) and eight in the400-meter dash (53.46 s).[4]
Smith signed hisletter of intent on February 6, 2013, and committed to attend and play football at theUniversity of Notre Dame.[5] He was considered the bestoutside linebacker recruit of his class byRivals.com andScout.com.[6][7] He played in the 2013U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylon Smith OLB | Fort Wayne, IN | Bishop Luers High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 237 lb (108 kg) | 4.50 | Jun 2, 2012 |
Recruit ratings:Scout:  Rivals: (90) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Scout: 1 (OLB), 1 (regional), 3 (national) Rivals: 1 (OLB), 3 (national) ESPN: 2 (OLB), 1 (regional), 7 (national) | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
In 2013, Smith won the startingDOG linebacker position beating out Ben Councell, after incumbent starter Danny Spond had to retire due to migraine issues.[8][9] Starting all 13 games, he recorded 67 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, one forced fumble, three pass break ups and oneinterception. His best game came in a 34–30 victory againstArizona State, where he recorded nine tackles, including 1.5 for loss. He notched his first career interception againstUSC on a pass thrown byCody Kessler.
With the arrival of newdefensive coordinatorBrian VanGorder, he was moved to an inside linebacker position in 2014.[10] He was one of three players to start all 13 games on defense, recording 112 tackles, including nine for loss, and 3.5 sacks, adding two pass breakups and one forced fumble. He was named theFBS Independent Co-Defensive Player of the Year, along with teammate Joe Schmidt IV and was named a second-teamAll-American by theAssociated Press.[11][12]
During his junior year in 2015, Smith played in all 13 games with 115 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one sack, five passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and 1 forced fumble. He won theButkus Award, given annually to college football's top linebacker.[13] During theFiesta Bowl game againstOhio State, Smith suffered a knee injury in the first quarter and left the game. It was confirmed that the knee was diagnosed with tears to theACL andLCL.[14] He underwent successful knee surgery on both ligaments on January 7, 2016. On January 11, 2016, Smith announced he would forego his remaining eligibility and enter the2016 NFL draft.[15]
| Notre Dame Fighting Irish | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Class | GP | Tackling | Interceptions | Fumbles | |||||||||||
| Comb | Solo | Ast | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Lng | TD | PD | FF | FR | Yds | TD | |||
| 2013 | FR | 13 | 67 | 41 | 26 | 6.5 | 0.0 | 1 | −1 | −1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | SO | 13 | 111 | 64 | 47 | 9.0 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | JR | 13 | 115 | 69 | 46 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 39 | 292 | 174 | 118 | 24.5 | 4.5 | 1 | -1 | -1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | 33 in (0.84 m) | 9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | |||||||||
| All values fromNFL Combine[16] | ||||||||||||
Prior to his injury in the Fiesta Bowl, Smith was projected to be a top-five pick in the2016 NFL draft.[17] On January 11, 2016, Smith released a statement throughTwitter announcing his decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2016 NFL Draft.[18] Smith attended theNFL Scouting Combine inIndianapolis in order to meet with teams, but was unable to participate in workouts due to his injury. On April 14, 2016, Smith was one of multiple prospects to undergo extensive medical evaluations as multiple teams were worried about the possibility of nerve damage. He received tests to objectively measure his nerve function.[19] Smith attended a pre-draft visit with theSan Francisco 49ers.[20] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, NFL draft experts and scouts projected Smith to be selected as early as the second round to as late as the sixth round. The majority of NFL draft experts projected him to be a third or fourth round pick.[21] He was ranked the 10th best outside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and was ranked the 11th best linebacker by NFL analystMike Mayock.[22]
TheDallas Cowboys selected Smith in the second round (34th overall) of the2016 NFL draft.[23] The Cowboys selected Smith after they unsuccessfully tried to trade their second (34th overall) and third round (67th overall) draft choices to move back into the first round of the 2016 NFL Draft to selectquarterbackPaxton Lynch. The selection of Smith by theDallas Cowboys surprised many observers and the media as they gambled on Smith's ability to return from his serious left knee injury he suffered in his last college game. Smith was operated on by the Dallas Cowboys’ doctor, Dan Cooper. Smith was the fourth linebacker drafted in 2016.[24][25][26]
| External videos | |
|---|---|
 Cowboys draft Jaylon Smith 34th overall | |
| Jaylon Smith received phone call from Jerry Jones |
On May 20, 2016, the Dallas Cowboys signed Smith to a four-year,$6.49 millioncontract that includes $4.42 million guaranteed and asigning bonus of $2.92 million.[27][28]
Jared Dubin, aCBS Sports writer, stated in an article posted toCBSSports.com on June 29, 2016, that "The Cowboys are confident in their diagnosis because it was their team physician that did Smith's surgery." He also went on to point out that, since the team's physician was the one to do the surgery, the Cowboys had more up-to-date information than other teams. Dubin then continued by saying that the Cowboys were in dire need of a superstar like Jaylon Smith, and that they could not afford to lose such a valuable prospect.[29] As expected, Smith was inactive for the entire2016 NFL season as he recovered from his torn ACL and MCL.
On June 7, 2017, Smith participated in drills for the first time in front of media since his torn ACL and MCL.[30] Smith entered training camp as a backup middle linebacker.[31] On July 20, 2017, the Dallas Cowboys signed linebackerJustin Durant as insurance in the event Smith was unable to fully recover before the start of the regular season. Smith was expected to experience full nerve regeneration within the next six to nine months after suffering nerve damage as a result of his injury.[32] On July 26, 2017, Smith took part in practice in full pads for the first time since college, but received limited reps as the coaching staff was cautious as he became acclimated to playing in full pads.[33] The Dallas Cowboys planned to use Smith as a backup and rotational player primarily on first and second down to avoid putting him in pass situations. The plan to use him for 25–30 snaps per game was eventually scrapped after they were forced to use him more than expected after starting middle linebackerAnthony Hitchens suffered a tibial plateau fracture in the last preseason game.[34] Head coachJason Garrett named Smith the starting middle linebacker to begin the regular season, alongside outside linebackersSean Lee andDamien Wilson.[35]
He made his professional regular season debut and first career start in theDallas Cowboys’ season-opener against theNew York Giants and recorded seven combined tackles and forced a fumble during their 19–3 victory.[36] In Week 4, he collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo) during a 35–30 loss to theLos Angeles Rams. Smith remained as the starting middle linebacker in Weeks 4 and 5 after Anthony Hitchens was moved to outside linebacker to fill in for an injured Sean Lee.
In Week 7, Smith was demoted to backup middle linebacker after Anthony Hitchens returned from injury.[34] On October 22, 2017, Smith recorded three combined tackles and forced a fumble on his first career sack during the Cowboys’ 40–10 win at theSan Francisco 49ers in Week 7. Smith made his first career sack on 49ers’ quarterbackC. J. Beathard for a six-yard loss and also forced a fumble by Bethard that was recovered by teammateTyrone Crawford in the third quarter.[37] Smith finished his 2nd NFL season in 2017 with 81 combined tackles (50 solo), two pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and one sack in 16 games and six starts.[38]
Smith entered training camp slated as the starting middle linebacker after Anthony Hitchens departed for theKansas City Chiefs during free agency. Head coach Jason Garrett named Smith the starting middle linebacker to start the regular season, ahead of rookie first round pickLeighton Vander Esch. He began the season alongside outside linebackers Sean Lee and Damien Wilson.[39] On October 7, 2018, Smith collected 12 combined tackles (six solo), broke up a pass, and made a sack during a 19–16 loss at theHouston Texans in Week 5.[40] In Week 16, against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, he had a 69-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the 27–20 victory.[41] In the 2018 season, Smith finished with four sacks, 121 total tackles, four passes defended, and two forced fumbles.[42] He was ranked 61st by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2019.[43]
On August 20, 2019, Smith signed a five-year, $64 million contract extension with the Cowboys with $35.5 million guaranteed, keeping him under contract through the 2024 season.[44]
Smith was also elected as a first time team captain for the 2019 Dallas Cowboys season. In week 9 against theNew York Giants on Monday Night Football, Smith recorded a team high 12 tackles and half a sack onDaniel Jones in the 37–18 win.[45]In week 10 against theMinnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football, Smith recorded a team high 13 tackles in the 28–24 loss.[46]
In week 17 against theWashington Redskins, Smith recorded a team high eight tackles and intercepted a pass thrown byCase Keenum during the 47–16 win.[47] This was Smith's first career interception in the NFL.[48] In the 2019 season, Smith finished with 2.5 sacks, 142 total tackles, one interception, nine passes defended, and two forced fumbles.[49] He was ranked 88th by his fellow players on theNFL Top 100 Players of 2020.[50]
Smith received criticism from the media during the season because of his level of play and the defense's struggles. In Week 2 against theAtlanta Falcons, Smith led the team with 13 tackles during the 40–39 come from behind win.[51] In Week 5 against theNew York Giants, he had 12 tackles (3 for loss), a half-sack and two quarterback pressures. In Week 11 against theMinnesota Vikings, Smith recorded his first full sack of the season onKirk Cousins during the 31–28 win.[52] In Week 12 against theWashington Football Team onThanksgiving, Smith recorded his first interception off a pass thrown byAlex Smith and made a 43-yard return during the 41–16 loss.[53] He finished with 145 total tackles 1.5 sacks, one interception, and five passes defended.[54]
Earlier in the NFL offseason, he had wrist surgery in January. He also announced his decision to change his number from 54 to 9 from his college days, despite public backlash from some of the fan base, saying that the number belonged to former quarterbackTony Romo. It was reported in the media, that the change forced Smith to pay a mid-six figure sum, in order to buy back the existing inventory of jerseys and T-shirts with his old number.[55]
On October 5, 2021, the Cowboys released Smith after he declined to waive his 2022 injury guarantee contract clause, to protect the team from a possible payment of $9.2 million, and after he was passed on the depth chart by rookieMicah Parsons and veteranKeanu Neal.[56][57] He appeared in 4 games with 2 starts during the season.
He finished his Cowboys career with 68 games, 516 tackles (20 for loss), 9 sacks, 2 interceptions, 6 forced fumbles and 5 fumble recoveries (including one returned for a touchdown).
On October 7, 2021, Smith signed with theGreen Bay Packers.[58] On November 2, 2021, Smith was released.[59] He appeared in two games, collecting one tackle in 27 defensive snaps.[60]
On December 17, 2021, Smith signed with thepractice squad of theNew York Giants.[61] He reunited with offensive coordinatorJason Garrett, who was his head coach with theDallas Cowboys. On December 18, 2021, Smith was activated from the practice squad as aCOVID-19 replacement, for the game against his former team theDallas Cowboys.[62] On December 20, 2021, Smith was promoted to the active roster.[63] He appeared in four games with two starts, making 19 tackles, one sack and one pass defensed.[64]
On September 20, 2022, Smith was re-signed by theNew York Giants to their practice squad.[65] On October 1, 2022, he was promoted to the active roster, to replaceAustin Calitro.[66] He seized themiddle linebacker role overTae Crowder, in the eighth game against theSeattle Seahawks. He appeared in 13 games with 11 starts, tallying 74 tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery,[67] while leading the linebackers with 724 defensive snaps (including the playoffs).[68]
On August 11, 2023, Smith signed with theNew Orleans Saints.[69] He was released on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad.[70][71]
On November 2, 2023, Smith was signed by theLas Vegas Raiders off the Saints practice squad.[72] He appeared in one game against theNew York Giants, making 2 tackles in 25 defensive snaps. He was declared inactive in 2 contests. He was released on November 22, 2023.[73]
On December 27, 2023, Smith was signed to thePittsburgh Steelers practice squad.[74][75] His contract expired at the end of the season and was not re-signed.
On May 12, 2025, Smith signed with the Las Vegas Raiders.[76] He was released on August 25.[77]
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Comb | Solo | Ast | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FF | FR | TD | ||
| 2017 | DAL | 16 | 6 | 81 | 50 | 31 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 121 | 82 | 39 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 142 | 83 | 59 | 2.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | DAL | 16 | 16 | 154 | 89 | 65 | 1.5 | 1 | 43 | 43.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | DAL | 4 | 2 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| NYG | 4 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | NYG | 13 | 11 | 88 | 46 | 42 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | LV | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 88 | 69 | 626 | 378 | 248 | 11.0 | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 0 | 21 | 6 | 5 | 1 | |
Jaylon has an older brother,Rod who has played for five NFL teams.[78]
Media related toJaylon Smith at Wikimedia Commons