Troy Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Troy Smith

Smith with the Baltimore Ravens in 2009
No. 10, 1
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1984-07-20) July 20, 1984 (age 41) Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	225 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High school:	Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
College:	Ohio State (2002–2006)
NFL Draft:	2007 / Round: 5 / Pick: 174
Career history
Baltimore Ravens (2007) San Francisco 49ers (2010) Omaha Nighthawks (2011) Pittsburgh Steelers (2012)* Montreal Alouettes (2013–2014)
Career highlights and awards
BCS national champion (2002) Heisman Trophy (2006) Davey O'Brien Award (2006) Chic Harley Award (2006) Walter Camp Award (2006) Archie Griffin Award (2006) AP College Football Player of the Year (2006) SN Player of the Year (2006) Quarterback of the Year (2006) Unanimous All-American (2006) Big Ten Most Valuable Player (2006) Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2006) First-team All-Big Ten (2006)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 234 Passing completions: 121 Completion percentage: 51.7% TD–INT: 8–5 Passing yards: 1,734 Passer rating: 78.5 Rushing yards: 220 Rushing touchdowns: 3
Career CFL statistics
Passing attempts: 288 Completion percentage: 49.7% TD–INT: 13–9 Passing yards: 1,873
Player stats at PFR
Player stats at CFL.ca (archive)

Troy James Smith (born July 20, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback. He played four seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He also played in the United Football League (UFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Smith played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He was recognized as a unanimous All-American and won the famous Heisman Trophy in 2006. The Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Troy Smith grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and later moved to Cleveland. He lived with Diane and Irvin White, who were his foster parents.

Troy first became interested in football in Cleveland. He played for the Glenville A's team. He started as a running back and tight end. His coach, Irvin White, soon moved him to the quarterback position, where he stayed.

Troy played his first two years of high school football at St. Edward High School. He later transferred to Glenville High School in Cleveland. There, he was coached by Ted Ginn Sr..

After his junior year, Troy was invited to the Elite 11 competition. This event features the top high school quarterback prospects in the United States. He received scholarship offers from West Virginia and Ohio State. He chose to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In his senior year, Troy threw for 969 yards and 12 touchdowns. He led Glenville to the state playoffs. Besides football, Troy also played basketball and ran track in high school.

College Football Career

Smith hands off to Antonio Pittman against the Texas Longhorns

Troy Smith received a scholarship to attend Ohio State University. He played for the Ohio State Buckeyes football team from 2003 to 2006. In 2002, he was a "redshirt" player, meaning he practiced with the team but did not play in games. That year, the Buckeyes won the National Championship.

As a freshman in 2003, Troy played a little as a running back and kick returner. In 2004, he became the starting quarterback when the main starter got injured. He won four out of five games he started that year, including a big win against their rival, the Michigan Wolverines.

Before the 2004 Alamo Bowl, Troy was suspended for breaking a team rule. He also missed the first game of the 2005 season. This was because he had accepted a small gift, which was against NCAA rules.

In 2005, with Troy as quarterback, Ohio State lost only two regular season games. He passed for 2,282 yards with 16 touchdowns. He also ran for 611 yards and 11 touchdowns. In January 2006, he was named the Offensive MVP of the Fiesta Bowl. He led the Buckeyes to a 34–20 win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

In the 2006 season, Troy and the Buckeyes got revenge on the Texas Longhorns. They won 24–7. Troy completed 17 of 27 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns. His performance made many people believe he could win the Heisman Trophy.

His passing improved even more in 2006. He completed 67% of his passes for 2,507 yards. He also threw 30 touchdowns and only five interceptions. Troy was one of the top five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. This award goes to the best senior college quarterback.

His teammates voted him the 2006 most valuable player. He also won the Davey O'Brien Award for best college quarterback. He was named a unanimous All-American.

Troy had an amazing record against Michigan, winning all three games he started. He was the first Ohio State quarterback since 1936 to win three straight games against Michigan as a starter.

Troy's college career ended on January 8, 2007. The Buckeyes lost to the Florida Gators in the 2007 BCS National Championship Game.

Winning the Heisman Trophy

Troy Smith won the Heisman Trophy on December 9, 2006. This award is given to the most outstanding player in college football. He beat out Darren McFadden and Brady Quinn for the award.

Troy received 91.6% of the first-place votes, which was a record for 13 years. He joined other Ohio State legends like Les Horvath, Vic Janowicz, Howard "Hopalong" Cassady, Archie Griffin, and Eddie George as Heisman winners.

College Statistics

Season	Team	Games		Passing								Rushing
		GP	GS	Cmp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/A	TD	Int	Rtg	Att	Yds	Avg	TD
2002	Ohio State	Redshirted
2003		11	0	0	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0	0.0	3	14	4.7	0
2004		8	5	122	68	55.7	896	7.3	8	3	134.2	82	339	4.1	2
2005		11	11	237	149	62.9	2,282	9.6	16	4	162.7	136	611	4.5	11
2006		13	13	311	203	65.3	2,542	8.2	30	6	161.9	62	228	3.8	1
Career		45	29	670	420	62.7	5,720	8.5	54	13	159.7	283	1,197	4.2	14

College Awards and Honors

• 2006 Heisman Trophy
• 2006 Consensus All American
• 2006 Sporting News College Football Player of the Year
• 2006 Fiesta Bowl MVP
• 2006 Walter Camp Award
• 2006 Davey O'Brien Award
• 2006 Buckeyes MVP
• 2006 Associated Press Player of the Year
• 2006 Chicago Tribune Silver Football – Big Ten Most Valuable Player
• 2006 Senior Bowl
• 2002 National Championship
• Number (10) honored at Ohio State in 2014.

Professional Football Career

Troy Smith entered the 2007 NFL draft after college. Even though he won the Heisman Trophy, some teams were concerned about his height for an NFL quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens

Smith with the Ravens during training camp, 2008

The Baltimore Ravens drafted Troy Smith in the fifth round. He signed a three-year contract with them. He became the third-string quarterback and later the second-string.

Troy got his first NFL playing time in December 2007. He even scored his first NFL touchdown by scrambling six yards. Many fans wanted him to become the starting quarterback. He got his first professional start against the Seattle Seahawks. In Week 17, the Ravens beat the Steelers with Troy starting. He finished his first season with 506 total yards and three touchdowns.

In the 2008 season, Troy became very ill with a rare disease. Because of this, rookie Joe Flacco became the Ravens' starting quarterback. Troy played in only six games that season.

For the 2009 season, Joe Flacco remained the starting quarterback. Troy played in only four games. He re-signed with the Ravens for one more year but was released before the 2010 season.

San Francisco 49ers

Smith playing for the 49ers, 2010

On September 6, 2010, Troy Smith signed with the San Francisco 49ers. This reunited him with his former high school and college teammate, Ted Ginn Jr..

In October 2010, Troy was named the starting quarterback for the 49ers' game against the Denver Broncos. He became the first black quarterback to start for the 49ers. He ran for one touchdown and threw another in a 24–16 win. He was named the Sports Illustrated NFL Offensive Player of the Week for his great performance.

Troy led the 49ers to an overtime victory in his next start against the St. Louis Rams. He threw for 356 yards and one touchdown. He started for three more weeks before the previous starting quarterback, Alex Smith, took over again. The 49ers finished the season with a 6–10 record.

Even though Troy had success as a starter, the 49ers did not re-sign him. The new head coach wanted to explore other options for the quarterback position.

Omaha Nighthawks

Troy Smith signed with the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League in 2011. He became the starter for their final game of the season. He completed 17 of 33 passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns in that game.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Troy Smith on January 20, 2012. He was released by the team in June of that year.

Montreal Alouettes

On August 14, 2013, Troy signed a two-year contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He recorded his first win with the Alouettes in his first start. He started the last three regular season games and led them to the playoffs.

Troy finished his first year in the CFL with 884 passing yards and nine touchdowns. He was re-signed for three more years after the 2013 season. However, he started the first six games of the 2014 season and won only once. Because of his performance, the Alouettes released him in October 2014.

Professional Career Statistics

NFL Awards

• Sports Illustrated NFL Offensive Player of the week (Week 8, 2010)

Personal Life

Troy Smith earned a bachelor's degree in communication from Ohio State University.

He is a father of two children. Troy has supported the FIT Kids Act. This act would require schools to report on students' physical activity. It would also give health and nutrition information to children.