Kolby Smith facts for kids

Kolby Kendrall Smith (born December 15, 1984) is an American football coach and former player. He used to play as a running back in the NFL. Currently, he is the running backs coach for the Arkansas Razorbacks college team.

Smith was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2007 NFL draft. Before that, he played college football at the University of Louisville. He also played for the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars. After his playing career, Kolby Smith became a coach, first in college and then in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins.

Early Life: A Two-Sport Star

Kolby Smith grew up in Tallahassee, Florida. He went to James S. Rickards High School, where he was great at two sports: football and track.

In track, he was a strong runner and hurdler. As a junior, he placed ninth in the 110-meter hurdles at the Florida state track meet.

On the football field, Kolby was a standout player. He earned team MVP (Most Valuable Player) and first-team All-District honors. He also received Honorable Mention All-State recognition during his junior and senior years.

As a sophomore, he played as a fullback, helping another player, Michael Fisher, run for over 2,000 yards. In his junior year, Kolby played both offense and defense. He made 105 tackles and rushed for 947 yards with 10 touchdowns. In his senior year, he gained over 1,300 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. This earned him first-team All-Big Bend Area honors.

College Career: Playing for the Louisville Cardinals

Kolby Smith played college football for the University of Louisville.

Freshman Year (2003)

As a first-year player, Kolby played in 12 games. He ran the ball 18 times for 131 yards and scored one touchdown. He averaged 7.3 yards per carry, which was the best on his team. His first college touchdown was against Cincinnati.

Sophomore Year (2004)

In his second year, Kolby played in 10 games. He rushed for 347 yards and scored four touchdowns. He averaged an impressive 9.4 yards per rush. His best game was again against Cincinnati, where he scored three touchdowns.

Junior Year (2005)

Even though two other running backs had left for the NFL, Kolby was still a backup player this season. He played behind Michael Bush, who was a top scorer in college football. Kolby still ran for 523 yards and scored six touchdowns.

Senior Year (2006)

Kolby was expected to be a backup again. However, the starting running back, Michael Bush, got a serious leg injury. This meant Kolby became the main running back. He rushed for 697 yards and scored five touchdowns. His best game was against Syracuse, where he ran for 165 yards and scored two touchdowns.

Professional Career: Playing in the NFL

Kolby Smith was chosen by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He was the 148th player picked overall. He signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs on June 22, 2007.

Kansas City Chiefs

Kolby made his first NFL start on November 25, 2007. This happened because other running backs were injured or had retired. In that game, he scored his first NFL touchdown against the Oakland Raiders.

In December 2009, he was placed on the Injured Reserve list due to an ankle injury. This meant he couldn't play for the rest of the season. The Chiefs re-signed him in February 2010, but then let him go in June 2010.

Denver Broncos

After leaving the Chiefs, Kolby was picked up by the Denver Broncos on June 15, 2010. However, he was released by the Broncos in August of the same year.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Kolby then signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 25, 2010. He was released by them on September 3, 2010, before the regular season began.

Coaching Career: From Player to Coach

After his playing career, Kolby Smith began coaching football.

College Coaching

In 2012, Kolby started his coaching journey as a graduate assistant at the University of Arkansas. A graduate assistant helps coaches with various tasks while also studying.

In 2013, he became the running backs coach for Western Kentucky University. The head coach there, Bobby Petrino, had also been Kolby's coach when he played at Louisville.

In January 2014, Kolby joined Coach Petrino again at the University of Louisville, becoming their running backs coach. He stayed there until 2018.

After Petrino was no longer the head coach at Louisville, Kolby spent the 2019 season coaching running backs at Rutgers University. However, he was not kept on staff by the new head coach for the 2020 season.

NFL Coaching

On June 13, 2020, Kolby Smith moved to the NFL as a coach. He became an offensive quality control coach for the Miami Dolphins. This role involves helping the offensive coaches by breaking down game film and preparing scouting reports.

He missed two games in November 2020 due to COVID-19 protocols. He continued with the Dolphins as an offensive assistant until 2024. In 2024, he returned to the Arkansas Razorbacks as their running backs coach.

Personal Life: Beyond the Field

Kolby Smith is a cousin of Mike Brown, who was a strong safety for the Chicago Bears in the NFL. Kolby studied Sports Administration when he was at the University of Louisville.