Corey Smith (American football) facts for kids
| No. 98, 71, 58, 93 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 2, 1979 Richmond, Virginia |
||||||||||||
| Died: | March 2009 (aged 29) near Clearwater, Florida |
||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 250 lb (113 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Richmond (VA) Marshall | ||||||||||||
| College: | NC State | ||||||||||||
| Undrafted: | 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Corey Dominique Smith (October 2, 1979 – March 1, 2009) was an American football player. He played as a defensive end. Corey was first signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002. He was an undrafted free agent, meaning no team picked him in the main draft. He played college football at North Carolina State University.
Smith also played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. He was a strong player known for his tackles and sacks.
Contents
Corey Smith's Football Career
Corey Smith started his professional football journey in 2002. He joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was part of the team that won Super Bowl XXXVII. This was a huge achievement for him.
Playing for Different Teams
After his time with the Buccaneers, Corey moved to the San Francisco 49ers. He played there for two seasons. Later, he joined the Detroit Lions in 2006. He played for the Lions until 2008. Throughout his career, Corey was a dedicated player. He made many tackles and sacks.
Boating Incident and Search
On March 1, 2009, a fishing boat went missing. It was off the Gulf Coast near Clearwater, Florida. Corey Smith was one of four people on the boat. The others were Marquis Cooper, Nick Schuyler, and Will Bleakley.
The Search Effort
The four men left on February 28 and were expected back that night. The United States Coast Guard began searching for them. On March 2, the boat was found overturned. Only Nick Schuyler was found clinging to it. The search for Corey and the other two men continued. Sadly, they were not found. The official search ended on March 3, 2009.
Remembering Corey Smith
Corey Smith was a respected player. His family created the Corey D. Smith Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund helps students with their education.
Honoring His Legacy
The Detroit Lions held a special memorial service for Corey. This was on March 21, 2009. The team also announced they would retire his jersey number 93. This means no other player on the Lions will wear that number. It was a way to honor his memory forever.
Corey also received an award in 2009. It was the "Good Guy" Award from the Detroit Lions. This award goes to the player who is always kind and helpful to the media. His family accepted the award for him.
