BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY James Torrey Smith born January 26, 1989 is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens in the Nation basket ball and football. He accepted a scholarship to the University of Maryland, and red shirted his first year. In 2008, he set the Atlantic Coast Conference single-season kickoff return record with 1,089 yards after a 99-yard touchdown in the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl. He ended the year with 24 catches for 336 yards and two touchdowns. In 2009, he surpassed his own mark and re-set the ACC single-season kickoff return record at 1,309 yards. That season, he amassed 2,129 all-purpose yards, the second-highest all-time mark for an ACC player. He earned many All-ACC honors following the season. A panel of scouts considered Smith a potential third- or fourth-round selection for the 2010 NFL Draft, but he decided to return to Maryland for his junior season. In 2010, Smith was named to the Paul Hornung Award and Biletnikoff Award watch lists before the season. That season, he set the ACC career kick off return record. Smith chose to forgo his senior season to enter the 2011 NFL Draft, where the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the second round with the 58th overall pick.
al Football League(NFL). He was selected by the Ravens in the second round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith attended Stafford Senior High School in Stafford County, Virginia, where he played
Early life
Smith was born on January 26, 1989 and grew up with his mother Monica Jenkins in Colonial Beach, Virginia and Fredericksburg, Virginia. The oldest of seven children, Smith helped his single mother, who attended Rappahannock Community College in the day and worked at night, with household chores and earned honor roll grades in school. Smith attended Colonial Beach Elementary School, where his physical educationteacher, Steve Swope, recognized his athletic ability and allowed Smith to attend his camps free of charge. Smith noted, "Coach Swope knew me before I knew myself ... Every kid who's athletic in that town goes through Coach Swope." Smith went on to Stafford Senior High School, where he played basketball as a guard, and football at several different positions. He enjoys fishing as a pastime.
Smith played on the Stafford Indians football team as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, corner back, kickoff returner, and punt returner. In Stafford's 2004 game against King George, Smith opened with a 54-yard kickoff return, played quarterback, and scored on a 63-yard punt return. His coach, Roger Pierce, said, "Torrey can do those type of things for us. We expect him to do those things." During his senior year in 2006, Smith had 155 carries for 815 yards and 12 touchdowns, completed nine of 25 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns, and made three receptions for 81 yards. Over the course of his interscholastic career, Smith returned six kickoffs for touchdowns. He earned all-state kick returner honors as a sophomore, all-district honors as a junior, and honorable mention All-Northwest Region quarterback honors, and all-district and all-area honors as a senior.
As a college prospect, Rivals.com ranked him 30th nationally among dual-threat quarterbacks, Scouts, Inc. ranked him 33rd nationally among wide receivers, and Super Prep placed him on its Virginia 33. ESPN assessed him as a "do-it-all prospect" and projected him as a wide receiver because of his size and speed.[5] Smith was recruited by Maryland, Penn State, and Virginia Tech. He was shown interest by Virginia, but did not receive a scholarship offer. The Virginia staff, which questioned whether he had recovered his speed after a basketball injury during his junior year, asked Smith to run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at a Nike combine at Clemson University, which he did. The Virginia staff then asked him to repeat the feat at the University of Virginia campus, but Maryland offered a scholarship, which Smith accepted. He later said, "I kind of hold a grudge against U.Va. a little bit. I'm not afraid to say it. I kind of want to show them that they questioned my speed and whether I was going to get it back. I want to show them that I'm all healed up." Virginia head coach Al Groh said of the Fredericks burg native before the 2009 game against Maryland, "Clearly if we for saw [sic] him being the type of player that he is now, he would be returning kicks for Virginia. So we are not above admitting that there is a player that certainly has turned out to be superior to what many people thought, including ourselves. He's—regardless of what the circumstances were in the past—he is a superior college football player."
College career
2007 season
Smith sat out the 2007 season at Maryland on red shirt status, and was voted the scout team player of the year. He was named the scout team player of the week before the Florida State game. In summer camp, Smith adjusted from playing quarterback to wide receiver, a position he had limited experience with in high school. Teammate Darrius Hey ward-Bey said, "He's like a sponge. He's taking it all in, asking a lot of questions—and that's good for a receiver." In December, he practiced with the first team after Isaiah Williams suffered an injury.
2008 season
Smith drew praise from the Maryland coaching staff during summer workouts before the 2008 season, and The Washington Times predicted Smith, alongside receiver Ronnie Tyler, would earn significant playing time. He played in all 13 games and started in the last six of the season. He also saw action on special teams as a kickoff returner. Smith recorded 24 receptions for 336 yards and two touchdowns. In its mid season report, The Baltimore Sun credited Smith for often giving an inconsistent Maryland team good field position with his long kick returns.
Against Middle Tennessee, Smith returned four kicks for 86 yards. He made his first career reception for three yards the following week against 23rd-ranked California. Against Eastern Michigan, Smith recorded two receptions for 58 yards and four kickoffs for 126 yards. Smith tallied his first collegiate touchdown on a third-quarter reception from quarterback Chris Turner in the 20–17 comeback at 20th-ranked Clemson. He recorded 144 return yards against Virginia.
In the 26–0 victory over 21st-ranked Wake Forest, Smith returned the opening kick 34 yards, and caught two passes for eight yards. Smith made his career first start against NC State and recorded four kickoff returns for 85 yards, which set the school single-season kickoff return yards record for a freshman, surpassing the 566-yard mark set by Da'Rel Scott in 2007. Smith blocked a punt against Virginia Tech, and led the team with 163 all-purpose yards including 62 receiving yards. He recorded one reception for 12 yards against 16th-ranked North Carolina.
In the latter part of the season, Smith increased his role and was elevated over Isaiah Williams as the number-two receiver across from Darrius Hey ward-Bey. Head coach Ralph Friedgen explained that his presence would alleviate the coverage on Hey ward-Bey and praised Smith's blocking ability in the running game. Against Florida State, Smith broke the school record for single-season kickoff return yards, previously held by cornerback Josh Wilson. He had 119 all-purpose yards, including one 13-yard reception. Smith posted his season-best performance against 21st-ranked Boston College with 245 all-purpose yards and eight receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown.
In the 2008 Humanitarian Bowl he returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown against Nevada, which broke the bowl's previous return record of 98 yards. It was also the first time a Maryland player returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a bowl game. At the end of the season, Smith had returned 42 kickoffs for 1,089 yards, which set a new Atlantic Coast Conference single-season record. Smith led the team with 1,425 all-purpose yards, which put him ahead of starting running back Da 'Rel Scott who compiled 1,304 yards.
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