Rusty Smith
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Quarterback Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Cmp | Att | Pass Yds | Pass TDs | INTs | Sacks | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Fantasy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | TEN | 1 | 3 | 5 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | TEN | 2 | 20 | 40 | 200 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Summary
Rusty Smith is a former NFL quarterback from Jacksonville, Florida, who starred at Florida Atlantic.
Tennessee selected Smith in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He appeared in three NFL games, including one start, for the Titans.
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Early Life
Smith is from Jacksonville, Florida.
Florida Atlantic and the Titans identify Jacksonville as his hometown. The reviewed official sources focus on his collegiate and professional football career.
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High School
Available cited sources do not provide a detailed high-school playing record for Smith.
The reviewed official sources establish his Jacksonville background and document his subsequent Florida Atlantic career.
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Sources for this section
College Career
Smith became Florida Atlantic’s first NFL draft selection after a record-setting career.
He started 45 games for FAU and completed 768 of 1,361 passes for 10,112 yards with 76 touchdowns. He was the 2007 Sun Belt Player of the Year and guided the Owls to bowl victories in 2007 and 2008, earning New Orleans Bowl MVP and Motor City Bowl Offensive MVP honors.
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Path to the NFL
Tennessee selected Smith 176th overall in 2010.
The Titans chose the Florida Atlantic quarterback with the first of their two sixth-round selections, making him FAU’s first NFL draftee.
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NFL Career
Smith appeared in three games and made one NFL start for Tennessee.
NFL statistics list 23 completions on 45 attempts for 234 yards, with no touchdowns and four interceptions. His first start came at Houston in 2010 after injuries sidelined Tennessee’s other primary quarterbacks.
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Career Accomplishments
Smith’s most significant achievements came at Florida Atlantic.
He was FAU’s first NFL draft pick, surpassed 10,000 career passing yards, and earned MVP honors in the program’s consecutive bowl victories. Florida Atlantic inducted him into its Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
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Playing Style
Smith’s college profile was defined by extensive starting experience and high-volume passing production.
He started 45 games at Florida Atlantic and delivered more than 10,000 passing yards. Tennessee retained him on its 2010 53-man roster as the third quarterback before injuries created an opportunity to start.
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Legacy
Smith holds a foundational place in Florida Atlantic football history.
He became the program’s first NFL draftee and finished with school records in nearly every passing category, according to FAU. His college success was recognized with a 2019 Hall of Fame induction.
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Sources for this section
Post-Career
Smith became a high-school football coach after his professional playing career.
Florida Atlantic’s Hall of Fame biography states that he moved into high-school coaching after retiring from professional football.
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Sources for this section
22882, 00-0027775, 1987-01-28, Rusty Smith, Russell, Smith
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