American football player (born 1986)
American football player
Willie Junior Smith (born November 13, 1986) is a former American football offensive tackle . He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2011 . He played college football for East Carolina University .
He was also a member of the Oakland Raiders , San Diego Chargers and Carolina Panthers .
Professional career
Washington Redskins (first stint)
On July 28, 2011, the Washington Redskins signed Smith as an undrafted free agent .[ 3] Due to the suspension of Trent Williams , he played his first professional game in Week 14 of the 2011 season , rotating the left tackle position with Sean Locklear .[ 4] In Week 15 against the New York Giants , Smith would start his first game instead of Locklear.[ 5]
He continued to start as the left tackle for the rest of the 2011 season.
Smith has received praise for his ability to defend against elite pass rushers Jason Pierre-Paul , Jared Allen , and Trent Cole , despite being a rookie.[ 6]
During training camp in 2012 , Smith split snaps at right tackle with Tyler Polumbus and Maurice Hurt after Jammal Brown was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.[ 7] He was released on August 31, 2012 for final cuts before the start of the 2012 season.[ 8]
Oakland Raiders
On September 1, 2012, Smith was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Raiders .[ 9] On September 27, 2013, he was released.
San Diego Chargers
On November 18, 2013, Smith signed a two-year deal with the San Diego Chargers .[ 10]
Washington Redskins (second stint)
Smith re-signed with the Redskins on June 2, 2015.[ 11] He was released on August 31.[ 12]
Carolina Panthers
On August 18, 2016, Smith signed with the Carolina Panthers .[ 13] He was released by the Panthers on August 28, 2016.[ 14]
References
^ NFL Combine Profile
^ NFL Draft Scout
^ Fitzgerald, Gary (July 28, 2011). "Redskins Sign Three Undrafted Rookies" . Redskins.com . Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2011 .
^ Jones, Mike (December 11, 2011). "Fill-in tackles Willie Smith, Tyler Polumbus impress Coach Mike Shanahan" . WashingtonPost.com . Retrieved December 11, 2011 .
^ "Willie Smith starts for Sean Locklear at LT for Redskins" . AOLSportingNews.com . Retrieved December 18, 2011 .
^ Fitzgerald, Gary (January 17, 2012). "Smith Stepped Up Against Elite Pass Rushers" . Redskins.com . Retrieved January 17, 2012 .
^ Whyno, Stephen (July 26, 2012). "Redskins place Jammal Brown on PUP list with hip soreness" . WashingtonTimes.com . Archived from the original on July 28, 2012. Retrieved July 26, 2012 .
^ Jones, Mike (August 31, 2012). "Redskins' cutdown day begins" . WashingtonPost.com . Retrieved August 31, 2012 .
^ Corkran, Steve (September 1, 2012). "Raiders sign offensive tackle" . Inside the Oakland Raiders .
^ Gehlken, Michael (November 18, 2013). "Chargers sign Willie Smith ex-Raiders Tackle" . UTSanDiego.com . Retrieved November 18, 2013 .
^ Walker, Andrew (June 2, 2015). "Redskins Bring Back Tackle Willie Smith" . Redskins.com . Retrieved June 2, 2015 .
^ Keim, John (August 31, 2015). "Washington Redskins cut 13 players, including Willie Smith" . ESPN.com . Retrieved August 31, 2015 .
^ Henson, Max. "Panthers sign OT Willie Smith" . Panthers.com .
^ "Willie Smith" . foxsports.com . Retrieved July 26, 2017 .
External links