Darrin Smith
Encyclopedia
Darrin Andrew Smith is a former American football
linebacker
in the National Football League
(NFL) who played for the Dallas Cowboys
, Philadelphia Eagles
, Seattle Seahawks
and the New Orleans Saints
. While with Dallas
he won two Super Bowl
rings. At different times in his pro career he has played all three linebacker
positions. Smith played college football
at the University of Miami
where he was also won two national championship.
He was a member of the Dennis Erickson
's 1989 and 1991 national-championship teams.
Smith played strongside linebacker at Miami, where he formed "The Bermuda Triangle" along with teammates Jessie Armstead
and Michael Barrow.
As a senior, he was a starter in the 1991 national-championship team and was also named an All-America
linebacker.
In 2006, Smith was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. His bio can be viewed at UMSportsHallofFame.com .
Smith stayed five years at the University of Miami
, the first as a red-shirted freshman under Jimmy Johnson
, so he could get a complete education. He earned his master's degree in marketing after getting his undergraduate degree in business management.
by the Dallas Cowboys
.
Smith made an impact instantly as a rookie and became a four-year starter at weakside linebacker for the Cowboys.
He was one of the fastest linebacker
s in the league, extremely quick and versatile.
He started all four of his seasons with the Cowboys, and had two 100-tackle years, including 117 tackles in 1996.
He helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII
and Super Bowl XXX
.
In the 1990s, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap
, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton Jr., Dixon Edwards
, Robert Jones
and Randall Godfrey
, to leave via free agency, instead of signing them in to long-term contracts.
In 1997, after he became a free agent
, the Cowboys replaced him by drafting Dexter Coakley
.
Although he was looking for a multiyear deal, he signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles
, because that year many teams had salary cap problems.
His time in Philadelphia was disappointing; a sprained left ankle and torn ligaments in his right ankle limited him to only seven games that year.
In 1998, he reunited with Dennis Erickson
, signing a contract with the Seattle Seahawks
where he played for two seasons. He was third on the team with 90 tackles in 1999, but was released after the season because of salary cap reasons.
In 2000, he signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints
and although he lacked the size, he became the starting middle linebacker at 235 pounds, using his quickness to rank second on the team with 113 tackles, he also added two interceptions (on returned for a touchdown), 21 passes defended and two sacks.
He became a key component of the Saints' stout defense and their run to the NFC Western Division title, so the Saints re-signed him for four more years in 2001. Injuries limited him to only three games in 2004.
Smith retired in 2004 after playing in the NFL for 12 seasons, recording 24 QB sacks and 11 interceptions and 4 touchdowns.
He never appeared in a Pro Bowl
.
He is now married and the father of twins, a boy and a girl.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) who played for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
. While with Dallas
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
he won two Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
rings. At different times in his pro career he has played all three linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
positions. Smith played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
where he was also won two national championship.
Early years
At Miami Norland High School, he played linebacker and was also a 185-pound pulling guard during his junior year. He was also a member of his high school track team were he competed in the 100 meters with a personal best time of 10.7 seconds.He was a member of the Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
's 1989 and 1991 national-championship teams.
Smith played strongside linebacker at Miami, where he formed "The Bermuda Triangle" along with teammates Jessie Armstead
Jessie Armstead
Jessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami.-High school career:Armstead attended...
and Michael Barrow.
As a senior, he was a starter in the 1991 national-championship team and was also named an All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
linebacker.
In 2006, Smith was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. His bio can be viewed at UMSportsHallofFame.com .
Smith stayed five years at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, the first as a red-shirted freshman under Jimmy Johnson
Jimmy Johnson (American football coach)
James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a...
, so he could get a complete education. He earned his master's degree in marketing after getting his undergraduate degree in business management.
Professional career
Darrin Smith was drafted in the second round of the 1993 NFL Draft1993 NFL Draft
The 1993 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 25-26, 1993...
by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
.
Smith made an impact instantly as a rookie and became a four-year starter at weakside linebacker for the Cowboys.
He was one of the fastest linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
s in the league, extremely quick and versatile.
He started all four of his seasons with the Cowboys, and had two 100-tackle years, including 117 tackles in 1996.
He helped the Cowboys win Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
and Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
.
In the 1990s, the Cowboys organization felt they could find linebackers through the draft, without the need of paying a premium and adversely impacting the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
, so they allowed talented and productive players like Ken Norton Jr., Dixon Edwards
Dixon Edwards
Dixon Voldean Edwards, III is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League from 1991 through 1998...
, Robert Jones
Robert Jones (American football)
Robert Lee Jones is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the St...
and Randall Godfrey
Randall Godfrey
Randall Euralentris Godfrey is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. Godfrey played college football at the University of Georgia, where he majored in housing and consumer economics. He also played High School Football at Lowndes High School in Valdosta Georgia...
, to leave via free agency, instead of signing them in to long-term contracts.
In 1997, after he became a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
, the Cowboys replaced him by drafting Dexter Coakley
Dexter Coakley
William Dexter Coakley is a former American football linebacker who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. He was a third round draft choice of the Dallas Cowboys in the 1997 NFL Draft, out of Division I-AA school Appalachian State...
.
Although he was looking for a multiyear deal, he signed a one-year deal with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, because that year many teams had salary cap problems.
His time in Philadelphia was disappointing; a sprained left ankle and torn ligaments in his right ankle limited him to only seven games that year.
In 1998, he reunited with Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson
Dennis Erickson is an American football coach and former player. He was the head football coach at Arizona State University until November 28, 2011, a position he had held since the 2007 season. In 2008 the Arizona Board of Regents had approved a contract extension to keep Erickson at Arizona...
, signing a contract with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
where he played for two seasons. He was third on the team with 90 tackles in 1999, but was released after the season because of salary cap reasons.
In 2000, he signed a one-year deal with the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
and although he lacked the size, he became the starting middle linebacker at 235 pounds, using his quickness to rank second on the team with 113 tackles, he also added two interceptions (on returned for a touchdown), 21 passes defended and two sacks.
He became a key component of the Saints' stout defense and their run to the NFC Western Division title, so the Saints re-signed him for four more years in 2001. Injuries limited him to only three games in 2004.
Smith retired in 2004 after playing in the NFL for 12 seasons, recording 24 QB sacks and 11 interceptions and 4 touchdowns.
He never appeared in a Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
.
He is now married and the father of twins, a boy and a girl.