Shi Smith
Shiyun M. Smith (born October 26, 1998) is an American football wide receiver and punt returner for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Carolina.
 Smith with the South Carolina Gamecocks | |||||||||
| No. 80 – Tennessee Titans | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Wide receiver | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | October 26, 1998 Union, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Union County (Union County, South Carolina) | ||||||||
| College: | South Carolina (2017–2020) | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2021 / Round: 6 / Pick: 204 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||
| Roster status: | Practice squad | ||||||||
| Career NFL statistics as of 2022 | |||||||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||||||
Early years
Smith attended Union County High School in Union County, South Carolina. He caught 54 passes for 1,337 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior and 67 passes for 907 yards and 10 touchdowns as a senior.[1] He committed to the University of South Carolina to play college football as a 4 star recruit.[2]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shi Smith WR |
Union, SC | Union | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jun 11, 2016 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: (67 WR) Rivals: 205 (34 WR) 247Sports: 159 (4 ATH) ESPN: 107 (16 WR) | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
As a true freshman at South Carolina in 2017, Smith played in 12 games with seven starts and had 29 receptions for 409 yards and three touchdowns. He again started nine of 12 games in 2018, recording 45 receptions for 673 yards and four touchdowns.[3] As a junior in 2019, he started all 10 games he played in missing two due to injury. He finished the season with 43 receptions for 489 yards and two touchdowns.[4][5] Smith became South Carolina's primary receiving target his senior season in 2020.[6][7][8] Smith finished his senior season in 2020 with 57 receptions for 633 yards and 4 touchdowns over the course of 9 games.
Following the conclusion of the 2020 season, Smith announced he was declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.[9]
Smith left South Carolina fourth in program history in total catches and eighth in receiving yards. He also is tied for 13th in the record books for career touchdowns.[10]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 9+1⁄2 in (1.77 m) |
186 lb (84 kg) |
31+7⁄8 in (0.81 m) |
9+1⁄2 in (0.24 m) | 4.43 s | 1.60 s | 2.62 s | 4.22 s | 6.83 s | 36.0 in (0.91 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day[11][12][13][14] | ||||||||||||
Carolina Panthers
Smith was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 204th pick in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft.[15] On May 13, 2021, Smith signed his four-year rookie contract with Carolina.[16] On December 11, 2022, Smith scored his first career touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks on a 13 yard pass from Sam Darnold.
On August 29, 2023, Smith was waived by the Panthers.[17]
Tennessee Titans
On September 26, 2023, Smith was signed to the Tennessee Titans practice squad.[18]
Personal life
On March 25, 2022, Smith was arrested for unlawfully carrying a handgun, drug possession, and speeding in South Carolina.[19]
References
- Breiner, Ben. "Former Union star Shi Smith turning heads with Gamecocks". Des Moines Register.
- Caraviello, David. "Clemson turned Union's Shi Smith into a wide receiver, and Gamecocks set to reap the rewards". Post and Courier.
- One of South Carolina's top receivers trying fill in at Deebo Samuel's spot
- Shi Smith 100 percent won't be testing the NFL waters, he says
- Boynton, Eric. "South Carolina desperately needs huge production from Union County alum Shi Smith". Spartanburg Herald Journal.
- Cloninger, David. "Gamecocks' Shi Smith is talented, and doesn't mind telling his opponents". Post and Courier.
- From Union County to Columbia, it's Shi Smith's time to shine for the Gamecocks
- Boynton, Eric. "USC receiver and Union County alum Shi Smith's production, bravado at career-high levels". Independent Mail.
- Mack, Chandler (December 8, 2020). "Shi Smith, Ernest Jones declare for NFL Draft". WLTX. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- "Shi Smith drafted, joins Jaycee Horn in staying close to home". Charlotte Observer. Greg Hadley. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- "Shi Smith Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "2021 NFL Draft Scout Shi Smith College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "2021 NFL Draft Comps: South Carolina WR Shi Smith profiles as a Day 1 starter as a slot receiver". PFF. Kevin Cole. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
- "Shi Smith 2021 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "Panthers choose Shi Smith with 204th pick". Panthers.com. May 1, 2021.
- "NFL Draft Pick Signings: 5/13/21". Pro Football Rumors.
- Gantt, Darin (August 29, 2023). "Panthers make moves en route to 53-man roster limit". Panthers.com.
- Wyatt, Jim (September 26, 2023). "Titans Promote OL Justin Murray to Active Roster, Place RB Julius Chestnut, Safety Mike Brown on Injured Reserve". TennesseeTitans.com.
- "Panthers WR Shi Smith arrested on handgun, drug possession charges". NFL.com. March 26, 2022.