Ahmaad Smith facts for kids

Ahmaad Smith (born February 28, 1983) is an American football coach. He used to play as a defensive back. He played one season with the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena Football League (AFL). Since 2024, he has been the quality control coordinator for Rice University.

Smith played college football at Tennessee State University. He was also part of other teams like the Mississippi MudCats, Texas Copperheads, Team Tennessee, BC Lions, Toronto Argonauts, and Pittsburgh Power. He even appeared on a reality TV show called 4th and Long with Michael Irvin.

Early Life and College Football

Starting Football Later

Ahmaad Smith played basketball in high school. He did not start playing football until his senior year. This shows he was a talented athlete in more than one sport!

Playing for Tennessee State

From 2002 to 2005, Smith was a key player for the Tennessee State Tigers. He played football for four years and was a starter for two of those years. In 2005, he was chosen as a defensive captain. He also played basketball for the Tigers. In 2006, he earned his degree in business information systems from Tennessee State University.

Professional Football Career

Playing in Different Leagues

Ahmaad Smith played for several teams in different football leagues. In 2007, he played six games for the Mississippi MudCats in the American Indoor Football Association. He made many tackles and interceptions. Later that year, he played for the Texas Copperheads in the af2 league.

Moving to Other Teams

In 2008, Smith was picked by Team Tennessee in a special draft. However, that league never started playing games. He then signed with the BC Lions in the Canadian Football League (CFL) but was released later that year.

He was also a finalist on Michael Irvin's reality show 4th and Long. In 2010, Smith signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL, but he was released a few months later.

Time with the Iowa Barnstormers

Smith joined the Iowa Barnstormers in the Arena Football League (AFL) in 2009 and played for them during the 2010 season. He later joined the Pittsburgh Power in the AFL in 2011.

Coaching Career

Starting as a Coach

After his playing career, Ahmaad Smith became a football coach. From 2012 to 2014, he coached defensive backs for the Hampden–Sydney Tigers at Hampden–Sydney College. In 2013, he was a runner-up for a special award for assistant coaches.

Working with NFL Teams

In 2015, Smith received a special coaching internship with the Tennessee Titans in the National Football League (NFL). He worked with their defensive backs. He also coached at Northview High School in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Coaching at Colleges

From 2015 to 2017, he was the defensive backs coach for the Catawba Indians at Catawba College. He also had another coaching internship with the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL in 2017.

From 2018 to 2020, he returned to his old college, Tennessee State University, to coach defensive backs and coordinate the passing game. He had another NFL coaching internship with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2020.

Current Coaching Role

In 2021, Smith became a defensive assistant at Dartmouth College. In 2022, he became an assistant secondary coach there. Since 2023, he has been a quality control coordinator and safeties coach for the Rice Owls. In 2024, his role at Rice became quality control coordinator.

Personal Life

Ahmaad Smith's father, John Henry Smith, also played football for the Tennessee State Tigers. He was even drafted by the Cleveland Browns. Famous NFL player Richard Dent is Ahmaad's godfather.