Brad Smith

Smith is an excellent athlete who has superb scrambling ability and explosion carrying the ball. He seemed to regress as a signal caller as a sophomore and junior, but was playing in a system that did not allow him to utilize his greatest attribute -- his ability to improvise. The coaching staff realized the best way to utilize his talents was to unleash him, which they did in 2005. The result was seeing Smith go on to establish 59 school, conference and NCAA records before bringing his career to a conclusion with a fantastic performance vs. Steve Spurrier's South Carolina team in the Independence Bowl. Because of his erratic accuracy as a passer, several pro teams are projecting Smith as a possible candidate to move to receiver at the next level, but with his speed, elusiveness and scrambling ability, he could prove more productive if he shifts to halfback at the next level. The problem through the Indy Combine has been Smith's unwillingness to let go of his dream to play quarterback in the NFL. He closed out his career as the NCAA's record-holder for yards gained rushing by a quarterback (4,289). With his long arms, large hands, sudden burst and quick feet, he could be a natural at receiver or possibly halfback. Still, you can see the arm strength, balance and body control that could help him develop into an effective pro quarterback. All he needs is a patient coach who canrevamp his mechanics. Combine that with his pocket movement ability and you have a very interesting prospect who could also develop into a Donovan McNabb type if allowed to stay at the quarterback position. Smith was heavily recruited by the current Missouri staff while it was coaching at Toledo. He was one of the top prospects in the state of Ohio as a senior at Chaney High School. He was a two-time All-State and All-City Offensive Player of the Year selection in 2000. Smith threw for over 2,700 yards in his career and 34 touchdowns and also rushed for more than 1,200 yards while producing 19 touchdowns. He was an All-City pick in basketball and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He redshirted as a freshman at Missouri in 2001, then burst on to the scene with outstanding results during the 2002 season. He was a consensus Freshman All-American first-team selection and named Big Twelve Conference Newcomer of the Year. Smith set virtually every school and conference freshman passing record while also becoming only the second player in NCAA Division 1-A history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and throw for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He ranked tenth in the nation with an average of 280.2 yards per game in total offense. His 1,029 yards rushing broke the NCAA freshman record for quarterbacks, topping the previous mark of 1,019 yards by Kent State's Joshua Cribbs in 2001. His 3,362 yards in total offense shattered the old school single-season record of 2,545 yards by Corby Jones in 1997. He completed 196 of 366 passes (53.6 percent) for 2,333 yards, 15 touchdowns and only six interceptions that year. While he greatly improved his rushing skills in 2003, his passing ability suffered a bit. He did complete 60.3 percent of his passes, but only gained 1,977 yards and had eleven touchdowns with seven interceptions. He made up for that drop in yardage with his 212 carries for 1,406 yards (6.6 avg) and a school-record 18 touchdowns. His 1,406 yards rank as the fourth-best season total by a quarterback in college football history. A lack of a running game, young receivers and poor blocking on the offensive line were just some of the problems Smith encountered in 2004. The coaching staff decided to make Smith more of a pocket passer and limited his chances to improvise by taking away the bulk of his play-calling duties. He managed to complete only 51.8 percent of his passes (191 of 369) for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he was intercepted eleven times and fumbled five times while being sacked 19 times for minus-173 yards. That caused his rushing statistics to suffer, as he gained only 553 yards with four touchdowns on 165 carries (3.4 avg). 2005 saw Smith return to his roots as an option-style quarterback. Working more in the spread formation and given more authority to call his own plays, Smith completed 237 of 399 passes (59.4 percent) for a career-high 2,304 yards, including thirteen touchdowns and nine interceptions. He became the first quarterback in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards three times in a career, gaining 1,301 yards with sixteen touchdowns on 229 carries (5.7 avg). He ranked 14th in the nation in total offense, amassing 3,605 yards. Smith closed out his career as the holder of 59 school, conference and NCAA records. He was the only player in NCAA history to throw for more than 8,000 yards and rush for more than 4,000 yards in a career. He completed 835 of 1,484 passes (56.3 percent) for 8,799 yards, 56 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. He shattered the NCAA career rushing record for quarterbacks with 4,289 yards on 799 carries (5.4 avg) with 45 scores. He is only the seventh player in NCAA Division 1-A history to be responsible for more than 100 touchdowns in a career. Smith also became only the fourth player in major college history to gain more than 13,000 yards in total offense during a career, finishing with 13,088 yards.

jones is a former missouri quarterback who is now an attorney in kansas city and breaking into the sports agent business. at the combine, jones was blunt when asked about smith.

"He's killing himself (by insisting he wants to be a quarterback)," Jones said. "If he concentrated on being a wide receiver, he'd be a second-round pick. And he can do it. He has the feet and the speed. But he doesn't have what it takes to be an NFL quarterback."

smith's ability as a runner could see him shift to wide receiver or halfback in the pros, as he tends to have a run-first mentality. but those who saw his passing ability in 2002 feel he has more than a capable arm to excel as a quarterback at the pro level if allowed time to develop under patient coaching. smith is still not technically sound as a passer, as he sometimes throws off balance or fading an awful lot. he just needs to do a better job of setting his feet, as this causes problems with his accuracy. yet, he also shows the ability to make some throws most guys can't.

He has a very lively arm, as he can put good zip and velocity on his throws. Smith is not as accurate on deep balls as he is on short and intermediate throws, but he has the arm strength to deliver the ball 70 yards downfield. He is inconsistent to read defenses, as he forces some throws into coverage. The Tigers do move him around, mostly a lot of play-action and rollouts and he does throw well on the run, both right and left. He has good size for a quarterback and is fluid and nimble with his release, but his long balls tend to flutter and sail.

feb 25, 2006 - by howard balzer

The Sports Xchange/NFLDraftScout.com

"i feel like i'm a quarterback and can be a great quarterback down the line in the league with the opportunity to develop and learn a system," he said. "i want to play quarterback, that's where my heart is.

"It's flattering to hear people say they think I can play another position because of my athleticism. I'm a team player, so it would be something as I'm learning or as I'm helping the team out at quarterback, that I would maybe help somebody in that sense."

indianapolis -- corby jones believes brad smith is making a big mistake. in fact, it's a million-dollar mistake, according to jones.

Smith is at the Scouting Combine this week, intent on being a quarterback in the NFL. As a quarterback at Missouri, Smith became the only player in Division I college football history to pass for 8,000 yards and run for 4,000 yards in a career. But he completed just 56.3 percent of his passes.

said one league personnel executive, "he shows a lot of promising qualities. but the things that make him good at quarterback are the things that are attractive at other positions - wide receiver or running back. because he wins games with his legs."

Despite what Jones said, Smith was just as forceful when talking about his goals.

asked about college quarterbacks like matt jones and antwaan randle-el, who each were selected as wide receivers in the draft, smith said, "we're different players. they do different things. i'm aware of all the guys and all their situations. i just don't see myself in that sense, in the way i think, in the way i play, i believe is a little different than other guys. it's hard to put me in a box in that sense.

"It comes down to an individual. And me, as a person, and working at something your whole life and having dreams of doing something and being committed at the best you can be at anything, that's something that's important to me. It doesn't matter what anyone else has done."

negatives

His accuracy suffered the as a sophomore and junior when operating out of a pro-set scheme, but it improved greatly as a senior in a more diverse (spread) system... When he drops the ball below his hip, he generates a big circle in his release...Cool under pressure, but will look to run the first sign the pocket is threatened...On his long throws, he fails to get the ball to the outside shoulder of his target...Can duck, elude and avoid pressure, but lacks the down field vision needed to locate his secondary targets...Does not face up with aggression as a blocker...Likes the ball in pressure situations, but will make some poor judgment calls (see 2004 Troy, Texas and Kansas State games)...Good open field runner, but needs to do a better job of distributing the ball and securing it on the run (does not tuck the ball in, leaving it exposed and that has resulted in thirteen fumbles during the last two years).

to say that he is a very good runner and scrambler is an understatement, as he makes a lot of plays with his feet. he has excellent body control and change-of-direction agility. smith is very elusive and it is easy for him to make lateral jump cuts. when he pulls the ball down and runs with it, he is very creative and elusive. he has outstanding quickness and feet for a quarterback, but with his explosion and burst, he could be a very capable receiver. he has excellent leaping ability, long arms, large hands and good concentration skills going up for the ball, making a move to receiver seem almost logical.

He is an exciting and productive player who just lacks ideal accuracy for a quarterback. If he stays at that position, he will have to fill out his frame more to absorb the punishment he would experience at the pro level. A pro team may need to adjust its offense to fit his abilities, but much like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb, he must be accounted for at all times or he will certainly hurt a defense. Right now, he is a pleasant project, but if he can hone his passing skills he could be a mid-round find. With a lack of depth at the wide receiver position, his draft stock could be much higher there than it would be as a quarterback.

positives

Has a developing frame with long arms, large hands, very good balance, explosion and burst...Very nimble and light on his feet, making him a constant threat as a runner...Has enough arm strength to be effective on streaks and post patterns...Shows good focus when scrambling and has the separation agility to elude in the open, thanks to his ability to open his hips and explode down the sidelines...Natural leader who might not be a rah-rah type, but shows good command in the huddle...Throws an easy ball for backs to catch in the short area when he steps up in the pocket (loses accuracy on the move)...Has enough heat on his long throws to smoke it into the cornerback/safety void...Ducks, steps up and out of the pocket, eludes on the move and avoids linebackers in the open when he pulls the ball down and runs with it...Has the stop-&-plant action to pull up and hit a big play when scrambling out of the pocket...Very elusive open field runner with the leaping ability to get to the ball at its highest point as a receiver...Shows good field vision as a runner with the ball in his hands...Displays good ball handling skills and the large hands to secure the ball before running with it.

jones faced the same situation when he left missouri after the 1998 season. some scouts thought he could be a running back, some a safety. but jones wanted to be a quarterback, too.

"If I had to do it all over again, I would've agreed to play whatever," he said.

he ended up going to the canadian league, and later was briefly on baltimore's practice squad as a safety. at missouri's football dinner several weeks ago, jones said he talked to smith.

Said Jones, "I said you'll always have an opportunity to go play quarterback someplace. With him, particularly, he's a better athlete than I was. He could be a second-round pick at wide receiver if he agrees to do it."

2003: Sat out the second half of the Ball State game (9/06) due to a mild concussion. 2004: Was carried off the field by two of the team's trainers just before halftime when he was shaken up making a tackle after an Iowa State defender recovered a fumble (11/27). 2005: With just under nine minutes left in the Iowa State game (10/15), Smith was hit in the head on a tackle by linebacker Tim Dobbins. Smith was down for a couple of minutes before slowly walking off on his own with a teammate's arm around him, but did not return to the game...The following week, Smith again suffered a head injury (jaw) on a helmet-to-helmet hit vs. Nebraska (10/22).

Campus: Not available. Combine: 4.46 seconds in 40-yard dash (third-best among quarterbacks who ran).

39 1/2-inch vertical jump.

10'7"-inch broad jump.

Attended Chaney (Youngstown, Oh.) High School, playing football for coach Ron Berdis

One of the top prospects in the state of Ohio as a senior

Two-time All-State and All-City Offensive Player of the Year selection in 2000

Threw for over 2,700 yards in his career and 34 touchdowns and also rushed for over 1,200 yards and 19 scores

All-City pick in basketball and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Graduated in May, 2005 with a degree in Business Administration

Enrolled in post-graduate studies (Economics) in 2005

Volunteers with the Mike Jones Football Clinic, Chancellor's Lunch, Big Brothers and Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Food Drive, Truman Club and Athletes-in-Action, among many other activities

Son of Sherri and Phillip Smith

Born Bradley Alexander Smith on 12/12/83

Resides in Liberty, Ohio.