Rod Smart
Encyclopedia
Rod Smart is a former professional American football
player. He played college football
for the Western Kentucky University
Hilltoppers
, and began his professional career in the short-lived XFL
league, where he played running back
for the Las Vegas Outlaws
and was known by the nickname "He Hate Me". He then played briefly in the Canadian Football League
(CFL) before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles
of the National Football League
(NFL). He then spent four seasons with the Carolina Panthers
, 2002–2005, playing in Super Bowl XXXVIII
. He has also been on the roster for the San Diego Chargers
(in 2000) and the Oakland Raiders
(in 2006) and was selected to play in the never launched All American Football League
.
. He attended Lakeland High School
, where he played both running back
and cornerback
for the football team, and also ran for the track team
. For college he attended Western Kentucky University
, where he played for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
football team. He ended his career at Western Kentucky ranked tenth all-time in school history with 2,305 rushing yards on 356 carries with 21 touchdowns. Smart also totaled 115 receiving yards, 279 kickoff return yards, and 14 yards on punt returns. He started all 11 games as a senior in 2001 and was a first-team All-Gateway Conference selection. In his senior season, Smart led the Hilltoppers with 1,249 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on 188 carries, for a 6.4 yard average, while his all purpose yards and rushing yards ranked fifth and sixth respectively in school history for a single season. Smart graduated with a degree in Recreational Science
.
as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2000. He finished training camp with the team, but was released by the Chargers prior to the start of the 2000 NFL season
.
of the XFL
and adopted the nickname of "HE HATE ME." (The full name was "THEY HATE ME" but it couldn't fit on the jersey) Smart finished the season ranked second in the league in rushing with 555 yards. Smart also finished third in average rushing yards (3.8 yards per carry), and scored three touchdowns over the course of the one and only XFL season. Smart led the Outlaws in rushing, and was second in receiving with 27 catches for 245 yards.
of the Canadian Football League
(CFL); he played one game for Edmonton before being released in August 2001. The Philadelphia Eagles
of the NFL eventually signed Smart to their practice roster on October 2, 2001
. He was promoted to the active roster on November 19, 2001, appeared in 6 regular season games, mainly on special teams, and rushed for 6 yards on 2 carries. The Eagles waived Smart at the end of their 2001 season.
, Smart was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers
. He played in all 16 regular season games, and led the Panthers with 24 special teams tackles. Smart produced at least one special teams tackle in 14 games en route to recording the second-highest number of special team tackles in season team history.
In 2003
, Smart played in all 16 Panthers' games for the second consecutive season. For the first time in a Panthers' uniform, Smart was utilized as a kick returner, in addition to his special teams coverage duties. He averaged 23.1 yards on 41 kickoff returns for 947 yards, including a 100-yard touchdown against the New Orleans Saints
on October 5, 2003 (tied for the longest kickoff return in team history). Smart finished the Panthers' 2003 season ranked second with 14 special teams tackles and recorded his first career blocked punt. Smart also rushed for 49 yards on 20 carries and caught three passes for 11 yards on offense. Smart contributed to a Panthers' special teams coverage unit that ranked fifth in the NFL in opponents' kickoff return average.
Smart's 2004 season
was cut short due to injuries. He played in the first three games of the season for the Panthers, but was inactive for the next four before being placed on injured reserve with an injured left knee on November 3, 2004. Despite his limited action in 2004, Smart averaged 21.1 yards on eight kickoff returns for 169 yards, with the longest return being 33 yards. He also rushed four yards on 3 carries, and caught one pass for five yards, on offense.
In 2005
, Smart returned to the Panthers healthy, played in 12 games, and led the Panthers with 29 kickoff returns for 615 yards (for a 21.2 yard average). Smart also recorded nine tackles and one fumble recovery for the Panthers' kick coverage unit. After 4 seasons, Smart was released by the Panthers on March 1, 2006.
, Smart signed with the Oakland Raiders
as a free agent
. Being injured for part of the 2006 pre-season, Smart failed to make the final, 53-man Raiders roster on September 2, 2006.
on January 26, 2008. However, when the league was postponed for its Inaugural season, all players were released from their contract, leaving Smart a free agent.
football jersey during the one and only season of the XFL
(2001). Though most sports organizations allow only a surname or first initial and surname to be placed on the back of a jersey, XFL rules permitted players' jerseys to be stitched with whatever words they wanted.
Smart explained the origin of the grammatically non-standard phrase in a January 30, 2004 article with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
as, "Basically, my opponent is going to Hate me. After I win, he's gonna hate me. It is what it is. It's a saying I was saying when I'd feel something wasn't going my way. For example, (when) I was on the squad in Vegas
and coach was putting other guys in, (if) I felt I'm better than them, you know, hey, 'he hate me.' See what I'm saying? Give me a chance. That's all I ask. It came from the heart. Within. The way I felt. I feel as if everyone hates me, from my mom to my dad and even my brothers and sisters everyone "Hates Me". My buddy Greg Kates always used to use it, so I took it from him."
When Smart and the Outlaws
played divisional rival Los Angeles Xtreme
, two Xtreme
players put "I Hate He" and "I Hate He Too" on the back of their jerseys to express their disdain for Smart. In a later game between those two teams, those two players changed their nicknames to "Still Hate He" and "Still Hate He Too". The curious maxim also caught the eye of American audiences (as well as Smart's future Carolina Panthers
teammate Jake Delhomme
, who named one of his thoroughbreds, "She Hate Me").
funk
bands, Earth, Wind and Fire, Heatwave
, Parliament
and many more. He was the "class clown" but managed to keep his grades well above average with all A's and a couple of B's at Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida
. His nickname growing up and in high school was "The Rocket" after Raghib "Rocket" Ismail of Notre Dame, because of his speed, running a 4.25 40 yard dash
. Smart's younger brother is Chris Rainey, former Lakeland High School standout running back and current University of Florida Gators player. Smart's first cousin is former Philadelphia Eagles
receiver Freddie Mitchell
.
Smart currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and works with high school students as a counselor.
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...
player. He 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...
for the Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
, and began his professional career in the short-lived XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
league, where he played running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the Las Vegas Outlaws
Las Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
and was known by the nickname "He Hate Me". He then played briefly in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL) before signing 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...
of 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). He then spent four seasons with the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, 2002–2005, playing in Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII
Super Bowl XXXVIII was an American football game played on February 1, 2004 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 2003 regular season....
. He has also been on the roster for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(in 2000) and the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(in 2006) and was selected to play in the never launched All American Football League
All American Football League
The All American Football League was a proposed professional American football league. The league, which was to combine a professional pay structure with the requirement that all players be college graduates, had originally been scheduled to start in the spring of 2007, but later postponed its...
.
College career
Smart was born in Lakeland, FloridaLakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
. He attended Lakeland High School
Lakeland High School (Lakeland, Florida)
Lakeland Senior High School is the oldest public high school in Lakeland, Florida, United States. Lakeland Senior High School belongs to the Polk County School Board and is a member of Polk District Schools. Lakeland High School was the original high school in the city. It also shares its campus...
, where he played both running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
and cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
for the football team, and also ran for the track team
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
. For college he attended Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University
Western Kentucky University is a public university in Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. It was formally founded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 1906, though its roots reach back a quarter-century earlier....
, where he played for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers is the name for all of the men's intercollegiate athletic teams that play for Western Kentucky University. Women's teams are known as Lady Toppers...
football team. He ended his career at Western Kentucky ranked tenth all-time in school history with 2,305 rushing yards on 356 carries with 21 touchdowns. Smart also totaled 115 receiving yards, 279 kickoff return yards, and 14 yards on punt returns. He started all 11 games as a senior in 2001 and was a first-team All-Gateway Conference selection. In his senior season, Smart led the Hilltoppers with 1,249 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on 188 carries, for a 6.4 yard average, while his all purpose yards and rushing yards ranked fifth and sixth respectively in school history for a single season. Smart graduated with a degree in Recreational Science
Kinesiology
Kinesiology, also known as human kinetics is the scientific study of human movement. Kinesiology addresses physiological, mechanical, and psychological mechanisms. Applications of kinesiology to human health include: biomechanics and orthopedics, rehabilitation, such as physical and occupational...
.
San Diego Chargers training camp
Smart signed with the San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2000. He finished training camp with the team, but was released by the Chargers prior to the start of the 2000 NFL season
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
.
XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws
In the Spring of 2001, Smart joined the Las Vegas OutlawsLas Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
of the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
and adopted the nickname of "HE HATE ME." (The full name was "THEY HATE ME" but it couldn't fit on the jersey) Smart finished the season ranked second in the league in rushing with 555 yards. Smart also finished third in average rushing yards (3.8 yards per carry), and scored three touchdowns over the course of the one and only XFL season. Smart led the Outlaws in rushing, and was second in receiving with 27 catches for 245 yards.
Edmonton Eskimos and Philadelphia Eagles
After the end of the XFL season Smart signed with the Edmonton EskimosEdmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
(CFL); he played one game for Edmonton before being released in August 2001. 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...
of the NFL eventually signed Smart to their practice roster on October 2, 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
. He was promoted to the active roster on November 19, 2001, appeared in 6 regular season games, mainly on special teams, and rushed for 6 yards on 2 carries. The Eagles waived Smart at the end of their 2001 season.
Carolina Panthers
In September, 20022002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, Smart was claimed off waivers by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. He played in all 16 regular season games, and led the Panthers with 24 special teams tackles. Smart produced at least one special teams tackle in 14 games en route to recording the second-highest number of special team tackles in season team history.
In 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, Smart played in all 16 Panthers' games for the second consecutive season. For the first time in a Panthers' uniform, Smart was utilized as a kick returner, in addition to his special teams coverage duties. He averaged 23.1 yards on 41 kickoff returns for 947 yards, including a 100-yard touchdown against 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 ....
on October 5, 2003 (tied for the longest kickoff return in team history). Smart finished the Panthers' 2003 season ranked second with 14 special teams tackles and recorded his first career blocked punt. Smart also rushed for 49 yards on 20 carries and caught three passes for 11 yards on offense. Smart contributed to a Panthers' special teams coverage unit that ranked fifth in the NFL in opponents' kickoff return average.
Smart's 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
was cut short due to injuries. He played in the first three games of the season for the Panthers, but was inactive for the next four before being placed on injured reserve with an injured left knee on November 3, 2004. Despite his limited action in 2004, Smart averaged 21.1 yards on eight kickoff returns for 169 yards, with the longest return being 33 yards. He also rushed four yards on 3 carries, and caught one pass for five yards, on offense.
In 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Smart returned to the Panthers healthy, played in 12 games, and led the Panthers with 29 kickoff returns for 615 yards (for a 21.2 yard average). Smart also recorded nine tackles and one fumble recovery for the Panthers' kick coverage unit. After 4 seasons, Smart was released by the Panthers on March 1, 2006.
Oakland Raiders training camp
On May 4, 20062006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
, Smart signed with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as 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....
. Being injured for part of the 2006 pre-season, Smart failed to make the final, 53-man Raiders roster on September 2, 2006.
All American Football League
Smart was selected by Team Tennessee during the inaugural draft of the All American Football LeagueAll American Football League
The All American Football League was a proposed professional American football league. The league, which was to combine a professional pay structure with the requirement that all players be college graduates, had originally been scheduled to start in the spring of 2007, but later postponed its...
on January 26, 2008. However, when the league was postponed for its Inaugural season, all players were released from their contract, leaving Smart a free agent.
"He Hate Me"
"He Hate Me" is the phrase Smart chose to place on the back of his Las Vegas OutlawsLas Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
football jersey during the one and only season of the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
(2001). Though most sports organizations allow only a surname or first initial and surname to be placed on the back of a jersey, XFL rules permitted players' jerseys to be stitched with whatever words they wanted.
Smart explained the origin of the grammatically non-standard phrase in a January 30, 2004 article with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. It is the primary newspaper in Milwaukee, the largest newspaper in Wisconsin and is distributed widely throughout the state...
as, "Basically, my opponent is going to Hate me. After I win, he's gonna hate me. It is what it is. It's a saying I was saying when I'd feel something wasn't going my way. For example, (when) I was on the squad in Vegas
Las Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
and coach was putting other guys in, (if) I felt I'm better than them, you know, hey, 'he hate me.' See what I'm saying? Give me a chance. That's all I ask. It came from the heart. Within. The way I felt. I feel as if everyone hates me, from my mom to my dad and even my brothers and sisters everyone "Hates Me". My buddy Greg Kates always used to use it, so I took it from him."
When Smart and the Outlaws
Las Vegas Outlaws
The Las Vegas Outlaws were an American football team in the short-lived XFL in the Western Division with the Los Angeles Xtreme, San Francisco Demons and Memphis Maniax...
played divisional rival Los Angeles Xtreme
Los Angeles Xtreme
The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
, two Xtreme
Los Angeles Xtreme
The Los Angeles Xtreme was a professional American football team based in Los Angeles, California. The team was a member of the XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States. The team played its home games in the Los Angeles...
players put "I Hate He" and "I Hate He Too" on the back of their jerseys to express their disdain for Smart. In a later game between those two teams, those two players changed their nicknames to "Still Hate He" and "Still Hate He Too". The curious maxim also caught the eye of American audiences (as well as Smart's future Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
teammate Jake Delhomme
Jake Delhomme
Jake Christopher Delhomme is an American football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League. Delhomme played college football at Louisiana-Lafayette before being signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 1997...
, who named one of his thoroughbreds, "She Hate Me").
Personal life
Smart is a fan of the 1970s AmericanUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
bands, Earth, Wind and Fire, Heatwave
Heatwave (band)
Heatwave was an international funk/disco musical band featuring Americans Johnnie Wilder, Jr. and Keith Wilder of Dayton, Ohio, Englishman Rod Temperton , Swiss Mario Mantese , Czechoslovak Ernest "Bilbo" Berger , Jamaican Eric Johns and Briton Roy Carter .They were known for their successful...
, Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
and many more. He was the "class clown" but managed to keep his grades well above average with all A's and a couple of B's at Lakeland High School in Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
. His nickname growing up and in high school was "The Rocket" after Raghib "Rocket" Ismail of Notre Dame, because of his speed, running a 4.25 40 yard dash
40 yard dash
The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time in the 40 can have a heavy impact on his prospects in college or professional football...
. Smart's younger brother is Chris Rainey, former Lakeland High School standout running back and current University of Florida Gators player. Smart's first cousin is former 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...
receiver Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Mitchell
Freddie Lee Mitchell, Jr. is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Philadelphia Eagles in the National Football League for four seasons. A four-sport athlete at Kathleen High School, Mitchell committed to the University of California, Los Angeles to play football for the Bruins...
.
Smart currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina and works with high school students as a counselor.