Geno Smith facts for kids
Smith with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021
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| No. 7 – Las Vegas Raiders | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | October 10, 1990 Miramar, Florida, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 221 lb (100 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Miramar (FL) | ||||||||||||
| College: | West Virginia (2009–2012) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2013 / Round: 2 / Pick: 39 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
Eugene Cyril "Geno" Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American professional football quarterback. He currently plays for the Las Vegas Raiders in the National Football League (NFL).
Geno played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He led them to several important games and broke many passing records. After college, the New York Jets picked him in the 2013 NFL draft.
After playing for the Jets for a few years, Geno became a backup quarterback for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers. In 2022, he had an amazing comeback as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl, led the league in completion percentage, and won the Comeback Player of the Year award. Geno continued as the Seahawks' starter for two more seasons before joining the Raiders in 2025.
Contents
Early Life and High School Football
Geno Smith was born in Miramar, Florida, on October 10, 1990. His family has roots in Bimini in the Bahamas. His great-uncle, Danny Smith, was a record-breaking hurdler, and his cousin Mel Bratton was a star running back. Geno's nickname came from his grandfather, who was called "Big Geno."
Geno went to Miramar High School. As a junior, he threw for 2,200 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was named second-team all-state quarterback. He also attended the special Elite 11 quarterback camp.
In his senior year, Geno led his team to the state semi-finals. He completed 205 passes for 3,089 yards and 30 touchdowns. He also ran for over 300 yards. Geno was a first-team all-state player in Florida. He finished his high school career as one of the best passers in Broward County history. He decided to play college football at West Virginia.
College Football Career
Geno Smith played for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team at West Virginia University from 2009 to 2012. He studied English while in college.
Starting as a Mountaineer
In 2010, Geno became the starting quarterback for West Virginia. In his first start, he completed 20 of 27 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.
He led an exciting comeback victory against Marshall. His team was down 21–6, but Geno helped them score 15 points in the fourth quarter. He threw a touchdown pass and then completed a two-point conversion to win the game in overtime.
Geno had a great game against Maryland, throwing for 268 yards and four touchdowns. He earned his first Big East Offensive Player of the Week award. He finished his sophomore season with 2,763 passing yards and 24 touchdowns.
Breaking Records
In his junior year (2011), Geno's passing numbers improved a lot with a new offensive system. He set school records for completions (38), attempts (65), and passing yards (463) in a game against LSU.
He also set single-season school records for pass completions (291), attempts (448), and yards (3,741). These records were previously held by Marc Bulger.
Geno had an incredible game in the 2012 Orange Bowl against the Clemson Tigers. West Virginia won 70–33. Geno tied three bowl records: most touchdown passes (six), most touchdowns overall (seven), and total points (42). His 401 passing yards broke Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record. He also became the Big East single-season passing leader with 4,379 yards.
Senior Year Success
As a senior in 2012, Geno continued to have amazing performances. In a game against Baylor, he completed 45 of 51 passes for 656 yards and eight touchdowns in a thrilling 70–63 victory. He also threw for 411 yards and five touchdowns against James Madison.
Geno finished his senior season with 4,205 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and six interceptions. After the season, he decided to enter the 2013 NFL draft.
College Awards and Statistics
Geno received many awards during his college career:
- All-Big East Conference Second-team (2010)
- All-Big East Conference First-team (2011)
- 2012 Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player
Here are his college statistics:
| Season | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 2009 | West Virginia | 5 | 0 | 0–0 | 32 | 49 | 65.3 | 309 | 6.3 | 1 | 1 | 120.9 | 17 | 7 | 0.4 | 0 | |
| 2010 | West Virginia | 13 | 13 | 9–4 | 241 | 372 | 64.8 | 2,763 | 7.4 | 24 | 7 | 144.7 | 106 | 217 | 2.0 | 0 | |
| 2011 | West Virginia | 13 | 13 | 10–3 | 346 | 526 | 65.8 | 4,385 | 8.3 | 31 | 7 | 152.6 | 56 | −33 | −0.6 | 2 | |
| 2012 | West Virginia | 13 | 13 | 7–6 | 369 | 518 | 71.2 | 4,205 | 8.1 | 42 | 6 | 163.9 | 66 | 151 | 2.3 | 2 | |
| Career | 44 | 39 | 26–13 | 988 | 1,465 | 67.4 | 11,662 | 8.0 | 98 | 21 | 153.5 | 245 | 342 | 1.4 | 4 | ||
Professional Football Career
New York Jets (2013–2016)
Geno Smith was chosen by the New York Jets as the 39th pick in the 2013 NFL draft. He signed a four-year contract.
Rookie Season (2013)
Geno became the Jets' starting quarterback after another player was injured. In his first regular season game, he helped the Jets win 18–17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 256 yards and a touchdown. He became the first rookie quarterback for the Jets to throw for over 300 yards in a game.
He was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Atlanta Falcons. He finished his rookie year with 3,046 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. He also ran for 366 yards and six touchdowns.
Later Years with the Jets
In 2014, Geno started the season as the Jets' quarterback. He had some good games, including a career-high 358 passing yards and three touchdowns against the Miami Dolphins. This game earned him a perfect passer rating. He finished the season with 2,525 passing yards and 13 touchdowns.
In 2015, Geno suffered a jaw injury before the season started. This caused him to lose his starting spot. He only played in one game that year. In 2016, he became the starter again for one game but then tore his ACL (a knee injury), which ended his season early.
New York Giants (2017)
After leaving the Jets, Geno signed with the New York Giants in 2017. He made history by becoming the first black quarterback to start for the Giants. He was also the first quarterback to start for both the Giants and the Jets. He started one game, throwing for 212 yards and a touchdown.
Los Angeles Chargers (2018)
In 2018, Geno signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers. He played in five games as a backup.
Seattle Seahawks (2019–2024)
Geno joined the Seattle Seahawks in 2019. He was the backup quarterback for Russell Wilson for several seasons.
Becoming a Starter (2021)
In 2021, Geno got a chance to play when Russell Wilson was injured. He threw for 702 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception in four games.
Comeback Player of the Year (2022)
In 2022, Geno competed for the starting quarterback job after Russell Wilson was traded. He won the job and became the Seahawks' starter. In the first game, he led the Seahawks to a 17–16 victory over the Broncos.
He had an amazing season, throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns against the Lions. He was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In December 2022, Geno was selected for his first Pro Bowl.
Geno led the Seahawks to the playoffs, their first appearance with him as the starter. He broke Russell Wilson's single-season passing record for the Seahawks with 4,282 yards. He also led the league with a 69.8% completion percentage. Geno finished the season with 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He won the Comeback Player of the Year award.
In the playoffs, the Seahawks lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Geno threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns in that game.
Continued Success (2023–2024)
In March 2023, Geno signed a new three-year contract with the Seahawks. He continued to lead the team, throwing for 3,624 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2023. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the second year in a row.
In 2024, Geno had another record-breaking season for the Seahawks. He threw for 4,320 yards, breaking his own single-season record from 2022. He also set new Seahawks records for most pass completions (407) and attempts (578) in a single season. He helped the team win 10 games and earned extra money for his great performance.
Las Vegas Raiders (2025–present)
On March 13, 2025, Geno Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. This move reunited him with his former Seahawks head coach, Pete Carroll. In April 2025, Geno signed a new two-year contract extension with the Raiders.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2013 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 247 | 443 | 55.8 | 3,046 | 6.9 | 69 | 12 | 21 | 66.5 | 72 | 366 | 5.1 | 32 | 6 | 43 | 315 | 8 | 4 |
| 2014 | NYJ | 14 | 13 | 3–10 | 219 | 367 | 59.7 | 2,525 | 6.9 | 74 | 13 | 13 | 77.5 | 59 | 238 | 4.0 | 18 | 1 | 28 | 175 | 8 | 3 |
| 2015 | NYJ | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 42 | 64.3 | 265 | 6.3 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 87.9 | 2 | 34 | 17.0 | 29 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | NYJ | 2 | 1 | 1–0 | 8 | 14 | 57.1 | 126 | 9.0 | 69 | 1 | 1 | 81.2 | 2 | 9 | 4.5 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
| 2017 | NYG | 2 | 1 | 0–1 | 21 | 36 | 58.3 | 212 | 5.9 | 47 | 1 | 0 | 84.5 | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 2 | 2 |
| 2018 | LAC | 5 | 0 | — | 1 | 4 | 25.0 | 8 | 2.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 | 8 | 2 | 0.3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 1 | 1 |
| 2019 | SEA | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | SEA | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 5 | 80.0 | 33 | 6.6 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 94.2 | 2 | −2 | −1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | SEA | 4 | 3 | 1–2 | 65 | 95 | 68.4 | 702 | 7.4 | 84 | 5 | 1 | 103.0 | 9 | 42 | 4.7 | 12 | 1 | 13 | 117 | 1 | 1 |
| 2022 | SEA | 17 | 17 | 9–8 | 399 | 572 | 69.8 | 4,282 | 7.5 | 54 | 30 | 11 | 100.9 | 68 | 366 | 5.4 | 25 | 1 | 46 | 348 | 8 | 4 |
| 2023 | SEA | 15 | 15 | 8–7 | 323 | 499 | 64.7 | 3,624 | 7.3 | 73 | 20 | 9 | 92.1 | 37 | 155 | 4.2 | 25 | 1 | 31 | 231 | 5 | 3 |
| 2024 | SEA | 17 | 17 | 10–7 | 407 | 578 | 70.4 | 4,320 | 7.5 | 71 | 21 | 15 | 93.2 | 53 | 272 | 5.1 | 34 | 2 | 50 | 338 | 9 | 0 |
| Career | 94 | 83 | 40–43 | 1,721 | 2,655 | 64.8 | 19,143 | 7.2 | 84 | 105 | 72 | 88.0 | 316 | 1,494 | 4.7 | 34 | 12 | 222 | 1,593 | 44 | 18 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacks | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Sck | SckY | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2018 | LAC | 0 | 0 | — | DNP | |||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | SEA | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | SEA | 0 | 0 | — | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | SEA | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 25 | 35 | 71.4 | 253 | 7.2 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 98.9 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 1 | 1 |
| Career | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 25 | 35 | 71.4 | 253 | 7.2 | 50 | 2 | 1 | 98.9 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 11 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 1 | 1 | |
Franchise Records
- New York Jets: Most passing yards in a single season by a rookie: 3,046 (2013)
- Seattle Seahawks:
- Highest completion percentage in a single season: 70.4% (2024)
- Most passing yards in a season: 4,320 (2024)
- Most pass completions in a single season: 407 (2024)
- Most pass attempts in a single season: 578 (2024)
Personal Life
Geno Smith married his college girlfriend, Hayley Eastham, in July 2015. Their son, Seven Santana Smith, was born on July 17, 2019. His son's name is a tribute to Geno's jersey number.
Geno is a Christian and often shares about his faith. He also follows a pescatarian diet, meaning he mostly eats fish and vegetables. His cousin, Jeremiah Smith, is also a talented wide receiver for Ohio State.
See also
In Spanish: Geno Smith para niños
