Malcolm Smith (American football)

Malcolm Xavier Smith (born July 5, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the USC Trojans. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft. Smith was named the Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XLVIII after the Seahawks defeated the Denver Broncos.

Early life
Smith attended William Howard Taft High School, where he was a letterman in football and track. In football, he was named to the Student Sports Sophomore All-American and Cal-Hi Sports All-State first-team as a 2004 sophomore when he had 800-plus yards of total offense and 8 touchdowns, plus 2 interceptions, as Taft won the L.A. City title. As a junior in 2005, he made Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass first-team, All-L.A. City first-team and Los Angeles Daily News All-Area first-team while making 41 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 fumble recovery, plus running for 639 yards on 73 carries (8.8 avg.) with 10 touchdowns and catching 27 passes for 411 yards (15.2 avg.) with 7 scores as Taft was the L.A. City runnerup. In his final year in 2006, he had 31 tackles, 10 sacks, and four fumble recoveries at linebacker and ran for 919 yards on 118 carries with 15 touchdowns as a running back, despite missing the first half of the season with a leg injury.

Also a standout track athlete, Smith competed as a sprinter for the Taft High track & field team. He qualified for the Los Angeles City Section T&F Championships in the 100m and 200m dashes. He recorded a personal-best time of 10.8 seconds in the 100-meter dash as a junior, and got a PR of 22.39 seconds in the 200-meter dash as a senior. He also ran the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds.

Smith received scholarship offers for football from Notre Dame, California, Arizona, Michigan, and Penn State.

College career
Smith enrolled at the University of Southern California (USC) in order to play college football for the USC Trojans football team. As a true freshman in 2007, Smith played in all 13 games as a backup linebacker and special teams player. He finished the year with six tackles and a forced fumble.

As a sophomore in 2008 he again spent time as a backup and on special teams. He finished the season with 18 tackles in 13 games. In the 2009 game against cross-town rival UCLA Bruins, Smith led the Trojan defense for a 28–7 win. Smith returned the first UCLA interception 62 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter. For his play, Smith was awarded the "Legend Nike Game Ball" for the National Defensive Player of the Week.

Pre-draft
Smith entered the 2011 NFL Draft, but did not receive an invitation to perform at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana. On March 30, 2011, Smith attended USC's pro day and performed all of the combine and positional drills for team representatives and scouts. He also attended private meetings with the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears. Smith was projected to be a sixth or seventh round pick by NFL draft experts and scouts. At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Smith was ranked as the 29th best outside linebacker prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com and was ranked the 37th best outside linebacker by Scouts Inc.

2011 season
Smith was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the seventh round (242nd overall) of the 2011 NFL draft. Smith was the 30th linebacker drafted in 2011 and reunited with Seattle Seahawks' head coach Pete Carroll. Carroll was Smith's head coach at USC from 2007–2009.

On July 28, 2011, the Seahawks signed Smith to a four-year, $2.08 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $45,900.

Throughout training camp, Smith competed to be a backup outside linebacker against K. J. Wright, Matt McCoy, and David Vobora. Head coach Pete Carroll named Smith the backup weakside linebacker to start the regular season, behind Leroy Hill.

He made his professional regular season debut in the Seattle Seahawks' season-opener against the San Francisco 49ers and made two combined tackles in their 33–17 loss. Smith made his first career regular season tackle on Ted Ginn Jr. and stopped him for a ten-yard loss during a punt return in the second quarter. On November 13, 2011, Smith collected a season-high four solo tackles, forced a fumble, and made his first career sack during a 22–17 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. Smith forced a fumble by David Reed that was recovered by teammate Atari Bigby and led to a last second field goal before the end of the second quarter. He also sacked Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco for an eight-yard loss in the fourth quarter. Smith was inactive for the last two games of the regular season (Weeks 16–17). He finished his rookie season in 2011 with 16 combined tackles (ten solo), a forced fumble, and a sack while appearing in 12 games with zero starts.

2012 season
During training camp, Smith competed for a roster spot as a backup outside linebacker against Jameson Konz, Allen Bradford, Heath Farwell, Mike Morgan, and Kyle Knox. Defensive coordinator Gus Bradley retained Smith as a backup outside linebacker, behind Leroy Hill and K. J. Wright, to begin the regular season. On December 2, 2012, Smith made his first career start and replaced Leroy Hill who was inactive due to an ankle injury. He finished the Seahawks' 23–17 win against the Chicago Bears with two solo tackles. In Week 16, he collected a season-high five combined tackles during a 42–13 victory against the San Francisco 49ers. Smith completed the 2012 season with 22 combined tackles (12 solo) and two pass deflections in 16 games and three starts. Smith was limited to 166 defensive snaps (16%), but played 258 snaps on special teams (60%). Smith earned an overall grade of 77.0 from Pro Football Focus in 2012.

The Seattle Seahawks finished second in the NFC West with an 11–5 record and earned a wildcard berth. On January 6, 2013, Smith appeared in his first career playoff game and recorded three solo tackles during the Seahawks' 24–14 win against the Washington Redskins in the NFC Wildcard Game. The following week, he made three solo tackles as the Seahawks lost the NFC Divisional Round 30–28 against the Atlanta Falcons.

2013 season
Smith entered training camp slated as the starting weakside linebacker after the departure of Leroy Hill. Smith received competition from Korey Toomer, Bruce Irvin, Mike Morgan, and Allen Bradford. Head coach Pete Carroll officially named Smith and K. J. Wright the starting outside linebackers to start the season, along with middle linebacker Bobby Wagner.

He started in the Seattle Seahawks' season-opener against the Carolina Panthers and made two solo tackles in their 12–7 victory. Smith was sidelined for the Seahawks' Week 3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars due to a hamstring injury. On October 17, 2013, Smith collected a season-high nine combined tackles, a pass deflection, and a sack during a 34–22 win at the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7. The following week, Smith was surpassed on the depth chart by Bruce Irvin who was named the starting strongside linebacker in his place. Smith became the starting weakside linebacker in Week 15 after K. J. Wright sustained a fractured foot and was sidelined for the last three games of the regular season. On December 22, 2013, Smith recorded eight combined tackles, a pass deflection, and made his first career interception during a 17–10 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. Smith intercepted a pass attempt by Cardinals' quarterback Carson Palmer, that was originally intended for running back Andre Ellington, and returned it for a 32-yard gain in the second quarter. In Week 17, Smith made five combined tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception for his first career touchdown in a 27–9 win against the St. Louis Rams. He intercepted a pass by Kellen Clemens, that was originally thrown to tight end Lance Kendricks, and returned it for a 37-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Smith finished the 2013 season with 54 combined tackles (34 solo), four passes defensed, a forced fumble, one sack, an interception, and a touchdown in 15 games and eight starts. Smith completed the season with 480 defensive snaps (46%) and 228 snaps on special teams (51%). Pro Football Focus gave Smith an overall grade of 83.0 in 2013. His grade ranked 16th among the 56th qualifying linebackers in the league.

The Seattle Seahawks finished first in the NFC West with a 13–3 record and earned a first round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. On January 11, 2014, Smith started in his first career playoff game and made nine combined tackles during a 23–15 victory against the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Divisional Round. On January 19, 2014, Smith made four combined tackles, a pass deflection, and made an interception to seal the Seahawks' 23–17 victory against the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. He intercepted a pass by quarterback Colin Kaepernick, that was intended for wide receiver Michael Crabtree. The pass was deflected by Richard Sherman and caught in the endzone for a touchback by Smith with the Seahawks up by six points with 30 seconds remaining.

On February 2, 2014, Smith recorded ten combined tackles (six solo), deflected a pass, recovered a fumble, and returned an interception for a touchdown in the Seahawks' 43–8 victory against the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XLVIII. Smith intercepted a pass by quarterback Peyton Manning, that was intended for running back Knowshon Moreno, and returned it for a 69-yard touchdown in the second quarter. He also recovered a fumble by wide receiver Demaryius Thomas in the third quarter after it was forced by teammate Byron Maxwell. His performance earned him the Super Bowl MVP award, making him the first defensive player to win the award since Dexter Jackson in Super Bowl XXXVII. Smith is one of seven defensive players to win Super Bowl MVP honors.

2014 season
Smith returned to a reserve role in 2014 after the return of K. J. Wright from injury. Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn opted to retain Bruce Irvin, K. J. Wright, and Bobby Wagner as the starting linebacker trio to start the regular season. In Week 7, Smith earned his first start of the season after Bobby Wagner was inactive for five games (Weeks 7–11) due to a turf toe injury. He finished the Seahawks' 28–26 loss at the St. Louis Rams with a season-high ten solo tackles. Smith was inactive for two games (Weeks 9–10) due to a groin injury. Smith finished the 2014 season with 38 combined tackles (28 solo), two forced fumbles, and a pass deflection in 14 games and five starts. Smith played predominantly on special teams and finished the season with 255 snaps (59%) on special teams and 273 snaps (27%) on defense. Pro Football Focus gave Smith an overall grade of 37.3, which marked the lowest grade of his career.

The Seattle Seahawks finished first in the NFC West with a 12–4 record and secured a playoff berth. On January 18, 2015, the Seattle Seahawks played the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game after defeating the Carolina Panthers 31–17 in the NFC Divisional Round. Smith made two combined tackles as Seattle defeated the Packers 28-22. On February 1, 2015, Smith appeared in Super Bowl XLIX, but was held without a stat as the New England Patriots defeated the Seattle Seahawks 28–24.

2015 season
On March 10, 2015, the Oakland Raiders signed Smith to a two-year, $7 million contract with $3.75 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $2 million. Smith reunited with defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who was his linebackers coach from 2007–2009 at USC and from 2010–2014 with the Seattle Seahawks.

Head coach and fellow USC alumnus Jack Del Rio named Smith the starting weakside linebacker to start the regular season, along with Ray-Ray Armstrong and starting middle linebacker Curtis Lofton. On October 25, 2015, Smith had a season-high 11 solo tackles, two pass deflections, a sack, and an interception in the Raiders' 37–29 victory against the San Diego Chargers. Smith intercepted a pass by quarterback Philip Rivers, that was originally intended for wide receiver Stevie Johnson, and returned it for a 27-yard gain during the Chargers' opening drive. In Week 16, Smith made a career-high 14 combined tackles (11 solo) during a 23–20 win against the San Diego Chargers. Smith started all 16 games in 2015 and made a career-high 122 combined tackles (99 solo), six passes defensed, and four sacks. He also had two forced fumbles and an interception. Smith earned an overall grade of 44.3 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 60th among all qualifying linebackers in 2015.



2016 season
Head coach Jack Del Rio retained Smith as the starting weakside linebacker to start 2016, along with Bruce Irvin and middle linebacker Ben Heeney. Smith was inactive for the Raiders' Week 5 win against the San Diego Chargers due to a quadriceps injury. In Week 11, Smith collected ten combined tackles (nine solo), made a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Brock Osweiler during a 27–20 victory against the Houston Texans in Mexico City. On January 1, 2017, Smith recorded a season-high 12 combined tackles (nine solo) as the Raiders lost 24–6 against the Denver Broncos in Week 17. He finished the 2016 season with 103 combined tackles (86 solo), three pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and an interception in 15 games and 15 starts. Smith's performance suffered in 2016 and he earned an overall grade of 46.3 from Pro Football Focus. His grade ranked 68th among 88 qualifying linebackers during the season.

San Francisco 49ers
On March 9, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers signed Smith to a five-year, $26.50 million contract with $11.50 million guaranteed and a signing bonus of $7 million.

Smith entered training camp slated as the starting right outside linebacker, but saw competition from rookie first round pick Reuben Foster. On August 5, 2017, Smith injured his pectoral during a training camp practice held in Levi's Stadium. On August 7, 2017, the San Francisco 49ers officially placed Smith on injured reserve after an MRI determined he had suffered a torn pectoral muscle. He remained on injured reserve throughout the entire 2017 season.

In 2018, he appeared in 12 games, tallying 35 tackles (22 solo) and one pass defensed. On August 27, 2019, Smith was released by the 49ers.

Jacksonville Jaguars
On October 22, 2019, Smith was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He appeared in 2 games as a backup. He was released on November 5.

Dallas Cowboys
On December 17, 2019, Smith was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys to provide depth because of injuries for the last 2 games of the season. He reunited with his former defensive coordinator Kris Richard. He appeared in 2 games with one start, registering 5 tackles and one forced fumble.

Cleveland Browns
Smith signed with the Cleveland Browns on August 23, 2020. In Week 3 against the Washington Football Team, Smith recorded his first interception as a Brown during the 34–20 win. This was Smith's first interception since 2016. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the Browns on December 31, 2020, and activated on January 9, 2021. He appeared in 15 games with 4 starts, collecting 72 tackles (fourth on the team), one sack, one interception, 2 passes defensed and one forced fumble.

Smith re-signed with the Browns on March 18, 2021. He appeared in 15 games with 6 starts, registering 51 tackles, 2 interceptions and 5 passes defensed.

Personal life
Smith's brother Steve Smith also attended USC from 2003 to 2006 and played wide receiver for the New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, and St. Louis Rams.

Smith has achalasia, a rare disorder of esophagus which affects its ability to move food toward the stomach. It started to affect him around the time of the 2009 Rose Bowl, where he began losing a few pounds of body weight each week because food would get stuck in his esophagus and he would have to throw it up. The weight loss was a problem as Smith tried to keep his weight up to 230 lb. Originally diagnosed as acid reflux, further tests revealed the problem as achalasia. Smith underwent a surgical procedure called a Heller myotomy which helped somewhat, but he still has dietary restrictions that force him to eat very slowly.