Chris Smith

BIOGRAPHY

Chris Smith was born on February 11, 1992, in Mount Ulla, North Carolina. He is a defensive end for the Cleveland Browns of the NFL. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. Smith has also played for the Cincinnati Bengals. He played college football at Arkansas.

Smith attended West Rowan High School, in Mount Ulla, North Carolina. He led the team to back-to-back state championships and 30 consecutive wins, combining for more than 200 tackles and 48 sacks in his junior and senior seasons. He also earned AP All-State honors for the second-straight season as a senior, totaling 98 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 11 passes defensed three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. Chris was named team MVP en route to a 16-0 record and the team’s second straight NCHSAA Class 3A State Championship. He was also named Defensive MVP in the North Carolina-South Carolina All-Star Game. As a junior in 2008, he totaled 117 tackles, 25 sacks, two forced fumbles, and two passes defensed. He received All-Conference and All-County honors and was named to the AP All-State team after leading the team to a 15-1 record and a NCHSAA Class 3A State Championship.

During college, Smith appeared in 43 games with 27 starts at Arkansas. His career totals include 122 tackles, 21.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Chris is one of only five players in school history to record 20-plus sacks in a career. He started all 12 games as a senior in 2013, recording 36 tackles, a fumble recovery and a pass defensed, leading the team with 8.5 sacks, and ranking 30th in the nation. He earned All-America honorable mention, as well as second-team All-SEC honors. He started every game (12) as a junior in 2012 and notched a career-high 52 tackles and a team-leading 9.5 sacks, which ranked fourth in the conference. He added four pass breakups and a forced fumble and was named honorable mention All-SEC. Chris played all 13 games with three starts as a sophomore in 2011. He totaled 31 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and a pass defensed. He appeared in six games as a freshman in 2010 with three tackles and a pass breakup.

Smith was selected 159th overall in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The pick that was used to select Smith was acquired in a trade that sent Eugene Monroe to the Baltimore Ravens. He was released by the Jaguars on September 13, 2014. Two days later, he was then signed to their practice squad and was promoted to the active roster on October 20. Chris made his NFL season debut and appeared on defense and special teams in seven games, registering five tackles, a career-high three sacks, and a forced fumble. By 2015, he played in six games, adding 10 tackles, a half sack, and a pass breakup. For the next season, in 2016, Chris saw action in six games, totaling four tackles and one sack.

On April 11, 2017, the Jaguars traded Smith to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for a 2018 conditional draft pick. Smith was brought in to help a Bengals defense that finished 19th in the league in sacks the previous season. He played in all 16 games, recording a career-high 26 tackles and three sacks. On March 14, 2018, Smith signed a three-year contract with the Cleveland Browns. He played in 16 games with two starts, recording 21 combined tackles, one sack, two passes defensed, and a forced fumble.

Smith recently started his own charity organization, Chris’ Closet, which raises funds and provides clothing options to under-served youth in fragile communities. He has participated in the Browns Golf Tournament and Dawg Pound Games.