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Jonnu Smith

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Jonnu Smith
refer to caption
Smith with the Tennessee Titans in 2019
No. 81 – Tennessee Titans
Position:Tight end
Personal information
Born: (1995-08-22) August 22, 1995 (age 29)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school:Ocala (FL) West Port
College:FIU
NFL draft:2017 / round: 3 / pick: 100
Career history
Roster status:Active
Career NFL statistics as of Week 14, 2019
Receptions:65
Receiving yards:731
Rushing yards:14
Total touchdowns:7
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Jonnu Andre Smith (born August 22, 1995) is an American football tight end for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida International University.

Early life

Smith was raised in North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by his parents, Wayne and Karen Smith. He is the youngest of six kids. When he was born, Karen was pressured by nurses to immediately name him due to hospital policies. After praying, she somehow came up with the name Jonnu. He began playing Pop Warner football at age 5.[1]

Smith endured a lot of challenges as a youngster in Philadelphia and after his brother was arrested and one of his friends was killed on the streets, a decision needed to be made. His family didn’t have the financial means to just uproot, so for his own safety, he moved in with his mother's sister and brother-in-law, Darla and Mike Kirkland, in Ocala, Florida. He started playing high school football and even though he was far from a touted recruit, he earned a scholarship to Florida International where his play took off.[2]

College career

Smith played college football at Florida International University.[3][4][5] As a freshman in 2013, Smith played 12 games with 388 receiving yards and two touchdowns.[6] As a sophomore in 2014, he played 12 games with 710 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.[7] As a junior in 2015, he played in 8 games with 397 receiving yards and four touchdowns.[8] As a senior in 2016, he played 11 games with 506 receiving yards and four touchdowns.[9] Smith majored in liberal studies at Florida International.

Statistics

Year Team GP Rec Rec Yds Avg Rec TD Rush Rush Yds Avg TD
2013 FIU 12 39 388 9.9 2 0 0 - 0
2014 FIU 12 61 710 11.6 8 0 0 – 0
2015 FIU 8 36 397 11.0 4 0 0 - 0
2016 FIU 11 42 506 12.0 4 1 5 5.0 0
Career 43 178 2,001 11.2 18 1 5 5.0 0

Source:[10]

Professional career

On January 17, 2017, it was announced that Smith had accepted an invitation to play in the 2017 Senior Bowl.[11] He practiced well during the week prior to the Senior Bowl, but was overshadowed by other tight ends who were considered first and second round picks.[12] On January 28, 2017, Smith played in the Reese's Senior Bowl for Chicago Bears' head coach John Fox 's North team who lost 16-15 to the South. Smith was one of 19 tight ends who received an invitation to attend the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana.[13] Smith had an impressive performance and finished in the five among tight ends in the majority of the drills. He placed second in the vertical jump and short shuttle, tied for third in the bench press, fourth in the broad jump, and finished sixth in the 40-yard dash in his position group.[14] On March 29, 2017, Smith opted to participate at FIU's pro day, along with Dieugot Joseph and ten other teammates. He performed the three-cone drill and positional drills for scouts and team representatives from 29 NFL teams and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League.[15] Throughout the pre-draft process, Smith had private workouts and visits with Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, and Minnesota Vikings.[16] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Smith was projected to be a fourth or fifth round pick by NFL draft experts and analysts. He was ranked the tenth best tight end in the draft by NFLDraftScout.com and was ranked the 12th best tight end by NFL analyst Gil Brandt.[17][18]

Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
6 ft 3 in
(1.91 m) 		248 lb
(112 kg) 		32+7⁄8 in
(0.84 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.62 s 1.64 s 2.71 s 4.18 s 7.43 s 38 in
(0.97 m)		 10 ft 6 in
(3.20 m)		 22 reps
All values from NFL Combine[19]

The Tennessee Titans selected Smith in the third round (100th overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft.[20][21] Smith was the sixth tight end selected in 2017 and was the seventh player selected in FIU's school history. He was the third-highest selection in school history, behind the Indianapolis Colts' wide receiver T. Y. Hilton (92nd overall, 2012) and former Jacksonville Jaguars safety Johnathan Cyprien. (33rd overall, 2013). He also became teammates with Cyprien who signed with the Tennessee Titans as a free agent during the offseason.[22] Throughout the draft process, Smith drew numerous comparisons to the Titans' tight end Delanie Walker.[23] The Titans selected Smith due to the heavy comparisons and to fill a void in their two tight end sets after Anthony Fasano departed in free agency. Offensive coordinator Terry Robiskie drafted Smith to complement Walker in their two tight end sets they used heavily the previous season.[24]

2017 season: Rookie year

On May 17, 2017, the Titans signed Smith to a four-year, $3.10 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $706,288.[25]

Throughout training camp, Smith competed against veterans Jace Amaro and Phillip Supernaw to be the Titans' second tight end. Head coach Mike Mularkey named Smith the second tight end on the depth chart behind Delanie Walker.[26]

Smith made his first NFL start and NFL debut in the Titans' season-opening 26-16 loss to the Oakland Raiders.[27] In the next game, he recorded two receptions for 30 yards and scored his first NFL touchdown on a 32-yard screen pass from Marcus Mariota during the fourth quarter of a 37–16 road victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Smith had made his first NFL reception in the second quarter, losing two-yards on a short screen pass from Mariota before being tackled by linebacker Paul Posluszny.[28][29] During Week 3 against the Seattle Seahawks, Smith caught a 24-yard touchdown during the third quarter of a 33-27 victory. During Week 5 against the Miami Dolphins, he caught a season-high five passes for 21 yards in the 16-10 road loss.[30]

Smith finished his rookie season with 18 receptions for 157 yards and two touchdowns.

The Titans finished second in the AFC South with a 9–7 record and made the playoffs as a Wild Card team.[31][32] In the Wild Card Round, the Titans played the Kansas City Chiefs. Smith started alongside Delanie Walker and finished the game catching two passes for 15 yards.[33] In the Divisional Round against the New England Patriots, against the New England Patriots, Smith recorded one four-yard reception before suffering a torn MCL in the 35-14 loss.[34]

2018 season

Smith in 2018

Smith entered the 2018 season as the Titans' No. 2 tight end behind veteran Delanie Walker. He was named the top tight end on the depth chart after Walker suffered a dislocated ankle during the season-opening 27-20 road loss to the Miami Dolphins.[35] Smith initially struggled filling Walker's shoes but he caught his first touchdown of the season on a shovel pass from Mariota during Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys in a 28-14 road victory.[36] In the next game against the New England Patriots, Smith caught four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown in the 34-10 victory. During Week 12, he caught a 61-yard touchdown pass as the Titans lost to the Houston Texans by a score of 34-17.[37] However, during a 30-9 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14, he suffered a season-ending MCL injury.[38][39]

Smith finished the 2018 season with 20 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns. Without Smith, the Titans finished with a 9-7 record and missed out on the playoffs.[40]

2019 season

Smith returned from his injury in time for the Titans' season opener against the Cleveland Browns. He recorded one reception for seven yards and a 10-yard rush in the 43-13 victory. During Week 5 against the Buffalo Bills, Smith caught a 57-yard reception as the Titans lost 14-7. Two weeks later against the Los Angeles Chargers, he caught three passes for 64 yards as the Titans won 23-20. In the next game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he caught six passes for 78 yards and his first receiving touchdown of the season from Ryan Tannehill.

NFL statistics

Regular season

Season Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2017 TEN 16 13 18 157 8.7 32T 2 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
2018 TEN 13 12 20 258 12.9 61T 3 0 0 0.0 0 0 1 0
2019 TEN 13 12 27 316 11.7 57 2 2 14 7.0 10 0 0 0
Career 40 35 65 731 11.2 61T 7 2 14 7.0 10 0 1 0

Postseason

Season Team Games Receiving Rushing Fumbles
GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Avg Lng TD Fum Lost
2017 TEN 2 1 3 19 6.3 10 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0
Career 2 1 3 19 6.3 10 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0

Personal life

Smith's best friend, Willie “Quasim” Jefferson, died from a gunshot in October 2016. Smith gave his son Jaiyen the middle name Quasim in honor of Jefferson. Smith competed in weightlifting, finishing second in the county in the 219-pound weight class.

Smith credits his mother, Karen, for his successes. When Smith was four, his father passed away as a result of a tow truck accident when he went to work and was in the process of towing an abandoned car after Philadelphia mayor John Street began a campaign to rid the streets of all abandoned vehicles. The car accidentally slid off and crushed Wayne Smith, killing him at age 40. As a result, Karen raised all six children by herself. "My mother is my rock," said Smith. "It was tough, but we always got what we needed—not necessarily what we wanted all the time—but what we needed. She was so strong all the time."[41]

On October 31, 2016, Smith was involved in an altercation with his girlfriend, Mary Gaspar, who was five months pregnant. The argument took place in their campus dorm room, where Gaspar used a kitchen pot and poured boiling hot water onto Smith. Smith suffered burns, and was ruled out for the rest of his senior year. Gaspar was arrested for aggravated battery, and entered a not guilty plea.[42][43][44][45][46]

References

  1. ^ Villa, Walter (August 5, 2016). "It's no secret that FIU's Jonnu Smith has the talent to play in the NFL". miamiherald.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "Jonnu Smith". TitansOnline.com. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  3. ^ "Jonnu Smith FIU profile". FIU Sports.
  4. ^ "Jonnu Smith college stats". ESPN.
  5. ^ "Jonnu Smith college stats". 247 Sports.
  6. ^ "Jonnu Smith 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  7. ^ "Jonnu Smith 2014 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  8. ^ "Jonnu Smith 2015 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  9. ^ "Jonnu Smith 2016 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved November 3, 2017.
  10. ^ "Jonnu Smith College Stats - College Football at Sports-Reference.com".
  11. ^ "FIU's Jonnu Smith Accepts Invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl". fiusports.com. January 17, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  12. ^ Stephenson, Creg (January 26, 2017). "Senior Bowl 2017: 'Loaded' tight end group could be packed with future NFL standouts". AL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  13. ^ Patsko, Scott (February 27, 2017). "NFL Combine 2017: Complete list of invited players". Cleveland.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  14. ^ Harry Lyles (March 5, 2017). "NFL Combine results 2017: Full tight end numbers". SBnation.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  15. ^ "FIU Pro Day 2017". fiusports.com. March 29, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  16. ^ "Report: FIU TE Jonnu Smith has pre-draft visit with Titans". 247sports.com. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  17. ^ "Jonnu Smith, DS #10 TE, Florida International". nfldraftscout.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  18. ^ Brandt, Gil (April 17, 2017). "Hot 150: Gil Brandt's top-ranked prospects for 2017 NFL Draft". NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  19. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Jonnu Smith". NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  20. ^ "Titans select Jonnu Smith in 3rd round of 2017 draft". TitansOnline.com. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  21. ^ Wolf, Jason. "Jonnu Smith, Titans past boiling water attack". Tennesseean.com. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
  22. ^ Delgado, Joey (May 1, 2017). "Jonnu Smith Drafted by Titans in Third Round of NFL Draft". news.fiu.edu. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  23. ^ Madson, Kyle (November 20, 2017). "Is Jonnu Smith living up to the Delanie Walker comparison?". titanswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  24. ^ Madson, Kyle (June 30, 2017). "Draft Wire: TE Jonnu Smith could be surprise starter for Titans". titanswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  25. ^ "Spotrac.com: Jonnu Smith contract". spotrac.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  26. ^ "Ourlads.com: Tennessee Titans depth chart: 10/01/2017". Ourlads.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  27. ^ "Oakland Raiders at Tennessee Titans - September 10th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  28. ^ "Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars - September 17th, 2017". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  29. ^ "NFL Game Center: Week 2-2017: Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars". NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  30. ^ "NFL Draft Profile: Jonnu Smith (2017)". NFL.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  31. ^ "2017 NFL Regular Season Standings – National Football League". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  32. ^ "Titans Beat Jaguars, Punch Ticket to Playoffs". Titans Online. Retrieved January 7, 2018.
  33. ^ "Wild Card – Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs – January 6th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 30, 2018.
  34. ^ "Divisional Round – Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots – January 13th, 2018". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 18, 2018.
  35. ^ "Following Loss of Delanie Walker, Titans TE Jonnu Smith Ready for Bigger Role". TitansOnline.com. September 11, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
  36. ^ Thompson, Chris (November 5, 2018). "Titans Trouble My Brain With Amazing Sleight of Hand Touchdown". Deadspin.com. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  37. ^ Froyd, Crissy (November 26, 2018). "Titans Highlights: Jonnu Smith comes up with 61-yard touchdown". TitansWire.com. Retrieved December 9, 2018.
  38. ^ Gantt, Darin (December 7, 2018). "Titans tight end Jonnu Smith out for the year". Pro Football Talk. NBC Sports. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  39. ^ Wyatt, Jim (December 11, 2018). "Titans Place TE Jonnu Smith, RT Jack Conklin on Injured Reserve; Team Adds TE Wick, OL Pasztor to 53-Man Roster". TitansOnline.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  40. ^ "2018 Tennessee Titans Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  41. ^ "Jonnu Smith". TitansOnline.com. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
  42. ^ Neal, David (November 10, 2016). "She wanted more attention from a top football player. So out came boiling water". The Miami Herald. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  43. ^ Schilken, Chuck. "NFL prospect Jonnu Smith's college career ends after girlfriend allegedly poured boiling water on him". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  44. ^ "FIU TE Jonnu Smith out for year after girlfriend burned him with boiling water". USA Today. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  45. ^ Schad, Joe (January 25, 2017). "Florida International TE Jonnu Smith rebounds from boiling water burns". Daily Dolphin Blog. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  46. ^ Brown, Russell. "Jonnu Smith, TE, Florida International 2017 NFL Draft scouting report". NFL Mocks. Retrieved April 10, 2017.
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