Rusty Smith (American football)

Rusty Smith
refer to caption
Smith with the Titans in 2013
No. 11
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1987-01-28) January 28, 1987 (age 37)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
Height:6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Weight:226 lb (103 kg)
Career information
High school:Sandalwood
(Jacksonville, Florida)
College:Florida Atlantic (2005–2009)
NFL draft:2010 / round: 6 / pick: 176
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
  • Grace Christian (2013–2014)
    Offensive coordinator & quarterbacks coach
  • Grace Christian (2015–2021)
    Head coach
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:45
Passing completions:23
Completion percentage:51.1%
TD–INT:0–4
Passing yards:234
Passer rating:29.3
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Russell Edgar Smith (born January 28, 1987) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Atlantic Owls and was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL draft.

Smith was with the Titans for four years as a backup, playing in three regular season games with one start. In 2014, he had offseason stints with the New York Giants and later the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL). After his playing career ended, he began a career as a high school football coach.

College career

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As a sophomore at Florida Atlantic, Smith passed for 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In his four-year career, he started in 45 games for the Owls.[1] He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Management of Information Systems.[2]

College statistics

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  Passing Rushing
Season Team GP Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rtg Att Yds TD
2006 Florida Atlantic 12 108 194 55.7 1,285 6 8 107.1 25 -110 0
2007 Florida Atlantic 13 281 479 58.7 3,688 32 9 141.6 39 -116 2
2008 Florida Atlantic 13 234 435 53.8 3,224 24 14 127.8 37 -82 2
2009 Florida Atlantic 7 145 253 57.3 1,915 14 5 135.20 14 -27 1
Totals 45 768 1,361 56.0 10,112 76 36 127.9 115 -335 5

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump
6 ft 5 in
(1.96 m) 		224 lb
(102 kg) 		4.83 s 1.71 s 2.90 s 4.61 s 7.04 s 23 in
(0.58 m)		 8 ft 4 in
(2.54 m)
All values from Florida Atlantic's Pro Day workout on March 4, 2010[3]

Tennessee Titans

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Smith was selected by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round (176th overall) of the 2010 NFL draft.[4] He was the first ever player from FAU to be drafted.[5] He was signed to a four-year contract on June 17, 2010.[6]

Smith made his NFL debut on November 21, 2010 against the Washington Redskins after starter Vince Young left the game with an injured throwing hand, completing 3-of-9 passes for 62 yards and one interception. Titans head coach Jeff Fisher later declared that Smith would become the team's starting quarterback due to Young's season-ending thumb surgery and Kerry Collins' calf injury.[7] His first start was in a 20-0 shutout loss to the Houston Texans. Smith had 17 completions in 31 passes for 138 yards and was intercepted three times, all by CB Glover Quin.

Smith did not have one snap during the 2011 regular season.

In 2012, he stepped in for Matt Hasselbeck and went 3-of-5 for 34 yards. He was waived/injured by the Titans on August 31, 2013. He was re-signed the next day, and put on the team's practice squad.[8]

New York Giants

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On Monday April 28, 2014 the New York Giants signed Smith.[9] Smith was released on May 12, 2014.[10]

Calgary Stampeders

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Smith signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League (CFL) on June 4, 2014.[11] He was released on June 21, 2014.[12]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Passing Rushing
GP GS Cmp Att Pct Yds Y/A TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2010 TEN 2 1 20 40 50.0 200 5.0 0 4 25.0 0 0 0.0 0
2011 TEN 0 0 DNP
2012 TEN 1 0 3 5 60.0 34 6.8 0 0 80.4 0 0 0.0 0
Career[13] 3 1 23 45 51.1 234 5.2 0 4 29.3 0 0 0.0 0

Coaching career

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In March 2015, Smith was announced as the new head football coach at the Grace Christian Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, having previously worked two years as the program's quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator.[14] He parted ways with GCA in February 2022 after eight seasons, having compiled a 21–49 record over seven seasons as head coach and leading the GCA Lions to all three of the team's playoff appearances in 2017 (1A), 2020 and 2021 (both DII-A).[15]

Missionary career

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After parting ways with GCA, Smith and his family began a two year commitment in Kijabe, Kenya as part of Africa Inland Mission in 2023. He is a teacher at Rift Valley Academy, a Christian boarding school operated by AIM.[16][17]

Personal life

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Smith's wife, Nicole, is the former head volleyball coach and strength and conditioning coach at Grace Christian Academy. They have four sons, Rustyn, Camdyn, Koltyn and Eastyn.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Kiper Jr., Mel (November 26, 2010). "Rusty Smith and the no-name rookies". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  2. ^ "Bio – Rusty Smith – Grace Christian Academy". Archived from the original on February 12, 2018. Retrieved February 12, 2018.
  3. ^ "Rusty Smith, DS #23 QB, Florida Atlantic". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
  4. ^ "2010 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2023.
  5. ^ "Rusty Smith becomes first FAU player ever drafted - Sun Sentinel". Articles.sun-sentinel.com. April 24, 2010. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  6. ^ "Titans Agree to terms with Draft Pick Smith". titansonline.com. June 17, 2010. Archived from the original on June 21, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  7. ^ "Titans now have to rely on rookie quarterback | tennessean.com". The Tennessean. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  8. ^ Kuharsky, Paul (September 1, 2013). "Report: Rusty Smith will join practice squad". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  9. ^ "New York Giants Sign QB Rusty Smith". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
  10. ^ "Giants release QB Smith, LB Bradford, CB Mertile and P Jordan Gay". Archived from the original on May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2014.
  11. ^ "STAMPS SIGN TWO". stampeders.com. June 4, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  12. ^ "Rusty Smith, Max Hall among players released in final CFL cuts". NBC Sports. June 22, 2014. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
  13. ^ "Rusty Smith". pro-football-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  14. ^ Sam Brown (March 9, 2015). "Former Titans QB to coach Grace Christian Academy". The Tennessean. Retrieved February 11, 2018.
  15. ^ Donovan Stewarts (February 14, 2022). "Grace Christian Academy in Franklin searching for new football coach". mainstreetmediatn.com. Retrieved March 18, 2023.
  16. ^ David Dawson (November 11, 2022). "Former Titans QB heeds missions call, moving to Kenya". TheBaptistPaper.com. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  17. ^ a b David Dawson (November 11, 2022). "Game Plan Changes". baptistandreflector.org. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
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