Keidron Ameer Smith (born November 1, 1999) is an American professional football safety for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcats and was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He has also been a member of the Washington Commanders.
| No. 43 – Denver Broncos | |
|---|---|
| Position: | Safety |
| Personal information | |
| Born: | November 1, 1999 Boca Raton, Florida, U.S. |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Weight: | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Oxbridge Academy (West Palm Beach, Florida) |
| College: | Ole Miss (2018–2021) Kentucky (2022) |
| Undrafted: | 2023 |
| Career history | |
| |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Roster status: | Active |
| Player stats at PFR | |
Early life
editSmith was born on November 1, 1999, in Boca Raton, Florida.[1] He grew up in West Palm Beach.[2] He attended Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, where he was a standout football and basketball player.[3] He helped Oxbridge reach the state championship game as a senior and finished with career totals of seven interceptions and five touchdowns.[3] He was named The Palm Beach Post's 2017 defensive player of the year.[4] In basketball, he scored over 1,000 points in his career.[3] A three-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Ole Miss Rebels.[5]
College career
editAs a freshman at Ole Miss in 2018, Smith appeared in all 12 games while recording 47 tackles and four pass breakups.[3] He started eight games in 2019 as a sophomore, totaling 48 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss (TFLs) and a team-leading eight pass breakups.[3] In 2020, he played in 10 games and recorded 64 tackles, six passes defended and an interception.[6] For the 2021 season, Smith switched his position from cornerback to safety.[6] He started seven games while appearing in all 13 in 2021, ending with 64 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, three pass breakups and two interceptions.[7] He won the Chucky Mullins Courage Award for being the "Ole Miss upperclassman defensive player that embodies the spirit of Mullins – courage, leadership, perseverance, and determination".[7]
Smith entered the NCAA transfer portal following the 2021 season, using an extra year of eligibility granted to all players due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6] He ended his stint at Ole Miss having made 224 tackles, 21 passes defended, five interceptions and five forced fumbles.[8] He ultimately transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats for his final season of college football.[9] With the Wildcats, he played all 13 games, 12 as a starter, and recorded 46 tackles, five passes defended and two interceptions, being named second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC).[10] At the conclusion of his collegiate career, he was invited to the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, and after impressing there, was selected for the 2023 Senior Bowl.[11]
Professional career
editMiami Dolphins
editAfter going unselected in the 2023 NFL draft, Smith signed with the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent.[12] Although he was reported to have impressed in preseason, he was released on August 28, 2023, as part of the final roster cuts.[2][13]
Washington Commanders
editOn September 6, 2023, Smith signed with the practice squad of the Washington Commanders.[14] He was released from the practice squad on August 9.[15]
Denver Broncos
editSmith signed with the Denver Broncos practice squad on December 19, 2023.[16] He was released on December 26, to make room for the waived Kareem Jackson, but was re-signed one day later after Jackson was claimed by the Houston Texans.[17] He signed a reserve/future contract after the season, on January 9, 2024.[18] After impressing in the 2024 preseason, he made the team's 53-man roster on August 27.[19][20]
References
edit- ^ "Keidron Smith Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ a b Schad, Joe (August 14, 2023). "Dolphins safety/cornerback Keidron Smith of West Palm Beach emerges as roster sleeper". The Palm Beach Post.
- ^ a b c d e "Keidron Smith". Ole Miss Rebels.
- ^ Habib, Hal (May 17, 2023). "Oxbridge's Keidron Smith, on bid to make Dolphins roster: 'I have the ability'". The Palm Beach Post.
- ^ Furones, David (August 14, 2023). "Local DB Keidron Smith, once a roster long shot, making noise in Dolphins camp". Sun Sentinel – via Yahoo! Sports.
- ^ a b c Hale, Jon (April 22, 2022). "What to know about Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith, new Kentucky football defensive back". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ a b "Keidron Smith". Kentucky Wildcats.
- ^ King, Ben (January 19, 2022). "Ole Miss Defensive Back Keidron Smith Enters Transfer Portal". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ Dawson, Brett (August 15, 2022). "Kentucky football needs Keidron Smith to be a contributor at corner — and a mentor". The Courier-Journal.
- ^ Sarney, Jason (May 21, 2023). "Dolphins Wire UDFA Player Profile: S Keidron Smith". USA Today.
- ^ Schad, Joe (January 31, 2023). "Keidron Smith of Kentucky, West Palm Beach and Oxbridge Academy brings 'chip' to Senior Bowl". The Palm Beach Post.
- ^ Shelton, Hunter (April 30, 2023). "Report: Keidron Smith Signing UDFA Deal With Miami Dolphins". Sports Illustrated.
- ^ "Miami Dolphins Make Roster Moves". Miami Dolphins. August 28, 2023.
- ^ "2023 NFL September Transactions". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ Fortier, Sam; Jhabvala, Nicki (October 9, 2023). "The Commanders' secondary has struggled. Now it's down a top player". The Washington Post.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ DiLalla, Aric (December 19, 2023). "Broncos sign DB Keidron Smith to practice squad". Denver Broncos.
- ^ Heath, Jon (December 28, 2023). "Why the Broncos re-signed a safety one day after cutting him". USA Today.
- ^ "2024 NFL January Transactions". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ McFadden, Ryan (August 26, 2024). "Broncos stock report: In final audition, Keidron Smith, Jordan Jackson strengthen cases for roster spots vs. Cardinals". The Denver Post.
- ^ DiLalla, Aric (August 27, 2024). "First look at the Broncos' 2024 initial 53-man roster". Denver Broncos.