Robert Smith (running back) facts for kids

Robert Scott Smith (born March 4, 1972) is an American college football analyst. He works for Fox Sports and the Big Ten Network. He used to play professionally as a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played for eight seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Before that, he played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Early Life and High School Sports

Robert Smith was born and grew up in Euclid, Ohio. This is a town near Cleveland. He became the first person to win Ohio's Mr. Football Award twice. He won it in 1988 and 1989.

As a junior at Euclid High School, he ran for 1,564 yards. He carried the ball 177 times, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. He also averaged 31 yards on 10 punt returns. In his senior year (1989), he gained 2,042 yards on 203 carries. He scored 31 touchdowns that season. He also won the Bobby Dodd National Back of the Year award. During his high school career, he rushed for a total of 5,038 yards. He carried the ball 548 times and scored 67 touchdowns.

Robert was also a talented track and field athlete. He ran the 100 meters in 10.68 seconds. He ran the 200 meters in 21.10 seconds. His best time in the 400 meters was 46.41 seconds.

College Football Career

Robert Smith chose to play college football at Ohio State. He also considered Miami, USC, and UCLA. In his two seasons with the Buckeyes (1990 and 1992), Smith ran for 1,945 yards. He was the team's leading rusher in both of those years. As a freshman in 1990, he had his best season with 1,126 rushing yards. He averaged 88.4 yards per game and scored 8 touchdowns.

Smith did not play football during the 1991 season. Instead, he focused on track and field with a scholarship. He ran his fastest 100 meters time of 10.24 seconds for the Buckeyes. He thought about transferring to other schools for football. However, Ohio State coach John Cooper allowed him to return. Smith rejoined the Buckeyes' football team in 1992.

Professional Football Career

The Minnesota Vikings picked Robert Smith in the first round of the 1993 NFL draft. He was the 21st player chosen overall. In his first few seasons, he faced some injuries. These included issues with his knees and ankles. He also had chicken pox.

Smith had a breakout year in 1997. He rushed for 1,266 yards that season. His best year in the NFL was in 2000, when he was 28 years old. He led the NFC in rushing with 1,521 yards.

Soon after the 2000 season, doctors found that he needed knee surgery. This would have been his third knee surgery. On February 6, 2001, he decided to retire from football.

In his eight NFL seasons, Smith rushed for 6,818 yards. He scored 32 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 178 passes for 1,292 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns. He only fumbled the ball nine times in his career. As a rookie in 1993, Smith wore jersey number 20. He switched to number 26 in 1994 and wore it until he retired.

Football Records

NFL Records

• Robert Smith holds the second-highest career rushing yards record for the Minnesota Vikings (6,818 yards). Adrian Peterson passed his record on September 9, 2012. The previous record was 5,887 yards, set by Chuck Foreman in 1979.
• He holds the NFL record for the highest average yards per touchdown run, at 27.2 yards.

After Retiring from Football

Before he retired, Robert Smith made a small appearance in the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000. He was in Season 8, Episode 3, called The Mole People.

Smith retired from the NFL after only eight seasons. He wanted to pursue a career in medicine. He also wanted to avoid serious injuries. Since retiring, he has mostly kept his life private. He has appeared as a guest on sports shows like Outside the Lines on ESPN. He has also been a college football analyst on various ESPN programs. He worked alongside people like Rece Davis, Mark May, and Lou Holtz. Smith also works as an analyst on the NFL Network.

Smith is the founder and chairman of Fan Huddle. This is an online platform that offers wellness content. It features professional athletes and experts.

In May 2016, Smith left ESPN to work for Fox Sports. He is currently an NFL game analyst for Fox Sports. He is often paired with Chris Myers.

Robert Smith also founded the Robert Smith Foundation. This charity helps provide money and support for Children's hospitals and cancer research.

In 2004, Smith's book The Rest of the Iceberg: An Insider's View on the World of Sport and Celebrity was published. In the book, he talked about his background. He also shared his experiences at Ohio State and in the NFL. He explained why he retired. He also discussed how much people focus on sports stars.

Smith is also an amateur astronomer. He was featured in science writer Timothy Ferris's 2007 PBS program, Seeing in the Dark. This program was based on Ferris's 2002 book of the same name.

Smith lives in Texas.