Geno Smith

Geno Smith
Eugene Cyril Smith III (born October 10, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to multiple bowl games, breaking numerous passing records, and garnering multiple awards before getting drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
After two inconsistent seasons as the Jets' starting quarterback, Smith eventually lost his starting position due to injuries in his final two years with the team. Smith then spent time as a backup for the New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers before unexpectedly making a career resurgence as the Seahawks' starting quarterback in 2022, earning his first Pro Bowl selection, having his first winning record and playoff berth as a starter, leading the league in completion percentage, and ultimately winning the Comeback Player of the Year award.
Early years
Smith was born to Eugene Smith Jr. and Tracy Seller in Miramar, Florida on October 10, 1990. His great-uncle, Danny Smith, was a record breaking All-American hurdler at Florida State, and his cousin Melvin Bratton was a star running back at Miami in the mid-1980s. Smith's nickname, Geno, came from his grandfather, who was nicknamed "Big Geno".
Smith was admitted to Norland Middle School's magnet program, which dedicated two hours per day to arts instruction. He went on to attend Miramar High School, where he was coached by former Mountaineer Damon Cogdell. As a junior, Smith passed for 2,200 yards, 25 touchdowns, and three interceptions, and was named second-team all-state quarterback. He was also named second-team all-Broward County as an athlete for 2007. Following his junior year, Smith was invited to the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp in Aliso Viejo, California.
During Smith's senior season, he led his team to the state 6A semi-finals and completed 205 of 338 passes for 3,089 yards and 30 touchdowns while also rushing for over 300 yards. Smith was a first-team all-state selection in Florida Class 6A and a Parade All-American. He was also the No. 1 rated player in Broward County according to the Miami Herald and South Florida Sun Sentinel, and finished No. 2 in the voting for Mr. Florida. Smith finished his career as the third-best passer in Broward County history, and was named to the ESPN Top 150 prospects list. He chose to attend West Virginia over offers from Florida State, South Florida, Boston College, and Alabama.
College career
Smith attended West Virginia University, where he played for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team from 2009 to 2012. Smith was an English major during his time at West Virginia.
Freshman year
Smith saw some action his freshman year as the backup behind senior Jarrett Brown. His first snap in a regular season game came against Auburn; Smith completed five of eight passes for 50 yards and an interception. He would see action again against Syracuse, Marshall, Louisville, and in the Gator Bowl against Florida State. In his freshman year at West Virginia University, Smith completed 32 of 49 passes for 309 yards, a touchdown, and an interception for an 81.1 quarterback rating to go along with 17 carries for seven yards as the backup to starting quarterback Brown.
Sophomore year
2010 was Smith's first year as the starting quarterback. Smith got his first start in the season opener against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, completing 20 of 27 passes for 216 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the 31–0 shutout victory.
With the Mountaineers down 21–6 against in-state rival, Marshall, Smith led his team to a fourth quarter comeback victory. He led the first drive from the Mountaineers' 4-yard line. With help from senior running back Noel Devine, the Mountaineers cut Marshall's lead to eight points. After the Mountaineers' defense stopped Marshall, a punt put the Mountaineers near their own end zone again, starting from the 2-yard line. After completing 9 of 13 passes and scrambling for 20 yards, Smith found tight end Will Johnson in the corner of the endzone for a touchdown. With Marshall still leading 21–19, head coach Bill Stewart elected to go for the two-point conversion. Smith completed a pass to wide receiver Jock Sanders in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion. The Mountaineers went on to win the game in overtime by a score of 24–21. Smith finished the game completing 32 of 45 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown to go along with 14 carries for 13 yards. After two games, Smith led the Big East in passing yards and passing efficiency.
In a 31–17 victory over Maryland, Smith completed 19 of 29 pass attempts for 268 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his touchdowns were to Tavon Austin, and the other two were to Stedman Bailey. Smith won his first Big East Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.
In West Virginia's first meeting ever with LSU, the Mountaineers lost at Tiger Stadium by a score of 20–14. Smith completed 14 of 29 pass attempts for 119 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception to go along with five carries for 10 yards.
Smith threw for 220 yards and ran for 19 yards in West Virginia's 49–10 win over UNLV. It was the most points WVU had scored since playing Connecticut in 2007.
During a 16–13 overtime loss to Connecticut, Smith completed 22 of 34 passes for 160 yards to go along with a season-high 64 rushing yards. This was the first game all season where Smith did not throw a touchdown pass. The loss was also the first time Connecticut had ever beaten West Virginia.
Smith tied his record for touchdowns in a game in a 37–10 win over Cincinnati, where he was 15 for 25, throwing for 174 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception. The win came after a two-game losing streak. It was the first time the Mountaineers beat Cincinnati since 2007. Smith won his second Big East Offensive Player of the Week for this performance.
On November 26 against Pittsburgh, Smith threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns in the 35–10 victory. In the next game against Rutgers, he had 352 passing yards and a touchdown in the 35–14 victory. Smith finished the 2010 season with 196 passing yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 23–7 loss to North Carolina State in the Champs Sports Bowl.
Smith finished his sophomore season completing 241 of 372 passes for 2,763 yards, 24 touchdowns, and seven interceptions to go along with 106 carries for 217 yards.
Junior year
With the arrival of new West Virginia football head coach Dana Holgorsen and a new passing-based offensive system, Smith saw his passing numbers improve drastically. In the fourth game of the season against the #2 LSU Tigers, Smith set school records for completions (38), attempts (65), and passing yards (463) in the 47–21 loss on September 24, 2011.
With 372 passing yards against the Cincinnati Bearcats on November 12, Smith tied a Big East record with his seventh 300-yard game of the season. He tied the record that was set in 2007 by Brian Brohm of the Louisville Cardinals.
Smith set single-season school records for pass completions (291), attempts (448), and yards (3,741) on November 25 in a win against the rival Pittsburgh Panthers. All three records were previously held by Marc Bulger.
In West Virginia's 70–33 rout of the Clemson Tigers in the 2012 Orange Bowl, Smith tied three individual bowl records: most touchdown passes (six), most touchdowns overall (seven) and total points (42). Smith's 401 passing yards broke Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record of 396 that he set in the 2000 Orange Bowl. Smith also became the Big East single-season passing leader with 4,379 yards, breaking Brian Brohm's mark that he set in 2007.
Senior year
As a senior, Smith put together multiple great statistical performances for the Mountaineers. In the season opening victory over Marshall, he finished 32-of-36 for 323 yards and four touchdowns. In the next game, a victory over James Madison, he finished 34-of-39 for 411 yards and five touchdowns. On September 29 against Baylor, Smith had a career-day, completing 45-of-51 passes for 656 yards and eight touchdowns in the 70–63 victory. In the next game, a victory over Texas, he finished with 268 passing yards and four touchdowns to help lead the Mountaineers to a 5–0 record. After the win over Texas, the season started to falter for the Mountaineers. Despite some solid individual results, Smith and the Mountaineers dropped the next five games. On November 23, Smith had 236 passing yards and two touchdowns in a victory over Iowa State to stop the losing streak. In the regular season finale against Kansas, he finished 23-of-24 for 407 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception in the 59–10 victory. In the Pinstripe Bowl against Syracuse, he finished with 201 passing yards and two touchdowns in the 38–14 loss.
Smith finished the season with 4,205 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with 66 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns. After the season, he officially announced his decision to enter the 2013 NFL Draft.
Awards and honors
All-Big East Conference Second-team (2010)
All-Big East Conference First-team (2011)
4× Big East Offensive Player of the Week
2012 Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player
3× Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
2× National Offensive Player of the Week (for week ending September 3, 2012; for week ending September 29, 2012)
2022–23 Season NFL Comeback Player of the Year
College statistics
Professional career
Smith received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine where his performance was well received by scouts who highlighted his athleticism and strong arm but noted that his ball placement needed improvement. Smith was widely regarded as one of the top prospects alongside EJ Manuel of Florida State. In the days leading up to the draft, several NFL teams expressed interest in Smith including the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 1 selection), the Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 2 selection), the Oakland Raiders (No. 3 selection), the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 4 selection), the Buffalo Bills (No. 8 selection), and the New York Jets (No. 9 and No. 13 selections).
New York Jets
Draft and signing
Smith was in attendance for the first round of the draft as many analysts and scouts expected him to be taken that night. However, Smith was not selected, and EJ Manuel was the lone quarterback taken in the first round. Smith declined to be interviewed by ESPN afterwards and originally planned to return home but later decided to attend the second day of the draft. Several league executives alleged Smith did not handle the draft process in a professional manner, which caused him to fall out of the first round, while analysts pointed to his late-season decline as a senior at West Virginia, which exposed his flaws, as the primary reason. The following day, the Jets expressed interest in trading up in the second round to select Smith but could not consummate a trade. Despite this, Smith remained available and the Jets selected him with the 39th overall pick. Following the selection, General manager John Idzik stated that Smith would compete with incumbent Mark Sanchez in training camp to determine the starting quarterback.
Smith fired his agency, Select Sports Group, upon the completion of the draft and sought new representation. He signed with Roc Nation Sports on May 22, 2013, with Kimberley Miale serving as his representative. Smith worked out in his home state of Florida during the offseason, prompting questions as to whether or not he had spurned Sanchez by not attending Sanchez's Jets West summer camp in California. Smith and Sanchez dismissed this notion with Sanchez saying that it was "no big deal."
2013 season: Rookie year
On July 22, 2013, Smith signed a four-year, $5 million contract with approximately $690,000 in workout bonuses.
Smith made his professional debut on August 9, 2013, in the first preseason game against the Detroit Lions. He completed 6-of-7 passes for 47 yards but left the game due to an ankle injury in the second quarter. X-rays showed no structural damage and Smith returned to practice on August 11. Smith started the Jets' third preseason game against the New York Giants completing 16 of 30 passes for 199 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions. Smith was named the team's starting quarterback after Sanchez suffered a shoulder injury against the Giants.
During the season-opening 18–17 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Smith completed 24-of-38 passes for 256 yards, a touchdown, and an interception. With only a few seconds left in the fourth quarter, he was hit out of bounds by Lavonte David, which drew a late hit penalty and the Jets went on to score the game-winning field goal. In the next game against the New England Patriots, Smith struggled as he completed 15 of his 35 passes for 214 yards, a touchdown, and three interceptions as the Jets lost on the road by a score of 13–10. The following week against the Buffalo Bills, Smith completed 16 of 29 passes for 331 yards, rushing for a touchdown and passing for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Despite 20 penalties, the Jets powered through and won 27–20. Smith became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history to throw for 300 or more yards in a game.
Smith struggled in the Week 4 38–13 road loss to the Tennessee Titans. He completed 23 of his 34 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown while committing four turnovers—two led to Titans touchdowns as the Jets lost 13–38. During a narrow Week 5 30–28 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons, Smith completed 16 of 20 passes for 199 yards and three touchdowns. He completed all four of his passes on the Jets' final drive, allowing Nick Folk to kick the game-winning 43-yard field goal. Smith was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week for his performance. In the next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith threw for 201 yards and two interceptions as the Jets lost by a score of 19–6. The following week against the Patriots, he completed 17 of 33 passes for 233 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Jets won by a score of 30–27 in overtime.
Smith struggled during the Week 8 9–49 road loss to the Cincinnati Bengals as he completed 20-of-30 passes for 159 yards and two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns before being relieved of duties by Matt Simms in the fourth quarter. Smith started in the next game against the New Orleans Saints and completed eight of 19 passes for 115 yards to go along with six carries for 18 yards and a touchdown in a 26–20 upset victory. The Jets returned from their bye week to lose three straight contests to the Bills, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. Smith struggled during this stretch as he failed to score any points and committed eight turnovers; he was benched in favor of Simms against Buffalo and Miami leading coach Rex Ryan to be noncommittal in starting Smith the rest of the year.
Smith showed gradual improvement as the Jets won three of their final four games. During a Week 14 37–27 victory over the Raiders, Smith completed 16 of his 25 passes for 219 yards, a touchdown, and an interception to go along with five carries for 50 yards, keeping the team in playoff contention. In the next game against the Carolina Panthers, Smith performed well until throwing a costly pick six in the fourth quarter. The Jets lost on the road by a score of 30–20 and were eliminated from playoff contention. Smith finished the game completing 15 of 28 passes for 167 yards, a touchdown, and interception. The following week against the Browns, Smith completing 20-of-36 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns to go along with 10 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown as the Jets won by a score of 24–13. In the regular-season finale against the Dolphins, Smith completed 17-of-27 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown to go along with 10 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown as the Jets won on the road by a score of 20–7, eliminating Miami from playoff contention.
Smith finished his rookie year with 3,046 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions to go along with 72 carries for 366 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games and starts.
2014 season: Struggles and eventual benching
Smith was named the starter to begin the 2014 season. He began the season passing for 221 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in the 19–14 season-opening victory over the Oakland Raiders. In the next game against the Green Bay Packers, he passed for 176 yards, a touchdown, and an interception to go along with seven carries for 26 yards and a touchdown in the 31–24 road loss. The following week against the Chicago Bears, Smith's very first play resulted in an interception returned for a touchdown by Ryan Mundy. Smith finished the game with 316 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions as the Jets lost to the Bears by a score of 27–19.
During a Week 4 24–17 loss to the Detroit Lions, Smith threw for 209 yards with an interception and lost fumble. On October 3, 2014, he was fined $12,000 for yelling profanity at fans while walking to the locker room during halftime in Week 4. Despite this incident, Smith was allowed to start in the next game against the San Diego Chargers, in which he threw for only 27 yards with an interception and was benched for the second half in favor of Michael Vick as the Jets were shut out on the road 31–0. Prior to the Week 5 game, Smith missed a team meeting, eventually admitting that he went to a movie theater in San Diego, unaware that the eastern and pacific time zones had a three-hour difference. Smith started in the Week 6 31–17 loss to the Denver Broncos, throwing for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.
During a Week 7 27–25 road loss the Patriots, Smith threw for 226 yards and the Jets combined for 218 rushing yards but an ensuing potential game-winning drive fell short due to a blocked field goal. In the next game, Smith lasted only ten minutes to begin regulation as he completed 2-of-8 passes for five yards and three interceptions against the Buffalo Bills, and was subsequently benched in favor of Michael Vick. His passer rating for that game was 0.04.
In the regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins, Smith led the Jets to a 37–24 road victory, completing 20-of-25 passes for a career-high 358 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions, and a perfect passer rating. This was his first perfect game, the sixth in Jets history, and the only one of the 2014 season.
Smith finished his second professional season with 2,525 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions to go along with 59 carries for 238 yards and a touchdown in 14 games and 13 starts.
2015 season: Preseason injuries
On August 11, 2015, Smith was involved in an altercation with defensive end IK Enemkpali in the locker room over a $600 unpaid debt. Smith suffered a fractured jaw after Enemkpali punched him in the face. Smith was ruled out for 6–10 weeks, and Enemkpali was released by the Jets shortly thereafter. Two days later, Smith underwent surgery on his fractured jaw. Ryan Fitzpatrick led the team to a 2–0 record while Smith was injured, so new head coach Todd Bowles decided to continue starting Fitzpatrick, even with Smith being healthy.
During a Week 8 34–20 road loss to the Oakland Raiders, Smith entered the game in relief of Fitzpatrick, who left the game with an injured thumb. Smith completed 27 of 42 passes for 265 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception to go along with two carries for 34 yards. This was his only appearance in 2015.
2016 season: Torn ACL
With Ryan Fitzpatrick re-signing with the Jets, Smith continued to remain in the backup role.
During a Week 6 28–3 road loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Smith came in after Fitzpatrick was benched for poor performance. Smith finished the game completing four of six passes for 31 yards and an interception. Two days later, he was named starter for the following game in place of Fitzpatrick.
Making the start in Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens, Smith threw for 95 yards and a touchdown until leaving the eventual 24–16 victory with an apparent knee injury. The next day, it was revealed that he tore his ACL, prematurely ending his 2016 season. Smith was placed on injured reserve on October 26, 2016.
New York Giants
On March 28, 2017, Smith signed with the New York Giants. During a Week 9 51–17 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Smith came in the game in relief of Eli Manning late in the fourth quarter and finished with only two incomplete passes.
On November 28, 2017, the Giants named Smith the starter for the upcoming game against the Oakland Raiders, which ended Manning's 210-game starting streak with the Giants. The start made Smith the first black quarterback to start for the Giants and the first quarterback to start for both the Giants and the Jets; it also meant every NFL team had started a black player at quarterback, with the Giants being the last team to do so. Making his first start with the Giants, Smith threw for 212 yards and a touchdown but had two first-half fumbles within the Raiders' 30 yard line and the Giants lost by a score of 17–24. On December 5, Manning was renamed the starter.
Los Angeles Chargers
On April 1, 2018, Smith signed a one-year contract with the Los Angeles Chargers.
During a Week 6 38–14 road victory over the Cleveland Browns, Smith made his Chargers debut, completing one pass for eight yards. Overall, Smith appeared in five games in the 2018 season in relief roles.
Seattle Seahawks
Smith signed with the Seattle Seahawks on May 15, 2019.
2019 season
Smith competed with Paxton Lynch for the backup job behind Russell Wilson. He was released on August 31, 2019, along with Lynch, but was re-signed the next day, earning the backup job. Smith saw no action during his first season with the team.
2020 season
Smith re-signed with the Seahawks on May 20, 2020. His only appearance came during a Week 14 40–3 victory over his former team, the New York Jets, as he played out the final 16:26 of the game. Smith completed four of five passes for 33 yards, leading the Seahawks to a field goal on the second of his two drives.
2021 season
Smith re-signed with the Seahawks for a third season on April 22, 2021. He made his first appearance of the 2021 season in Week 5 against the Los Angeles Rams after Russell Wilson left the game with a finger injury. Smith finished the 26–17 road loss with 131 passing yards, a touchdown (which was his first since 2017), and an interception. Smith was announced the starter after Wilson was placed on injured reserve. In the next game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Smith threw for 209 yards and a touchdown, but lost a fumble in overtime in the 20–23 overtime road loss. Two weeks later, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Smith finished with 195 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two carries for eight yards and a touchdown.
Smith finished the 2021 season with 702 passing yards, five touchdowns, and an interception to go along with nine carries for 42 yards and a touchdown in four games and three starts.
2022 season: Pro Bowler and Comeback Player of the Year
The Seahawks re-signed Smith on April 19, 2022, but the NFL disapproved Smith's new contract that same day after conducting the league's mandatory review; the issue was eventually resolved.
On August 26, 2022, Smith was announced as the starting quarterback for the season-opener against the Denver Broncos, the team that former Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson had been traded to during the offseason. Smith had competed for the starting quarterback spot with Drew Lock after the Seahawks traded Wilson.
During the season-opener against the Broncos, Smith completed 23 of 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns as the Seahawks narrowly won by a score of 17–16. Three weeks later against the Detroit Lions, Smith threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns as well as 49 rushing yards and a touchdown, leading the Seahawks to a 48–45 road victory. He was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance. During a Week 8 27–13 victory over his former team, the New York Giants, Smith threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
On December 21, 2022, Smith was selected to his first Pro Bowl. During a Week 17 23–6 victory over his former team, the New York Jets, Smith completed 18 of 29 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns, keeping the Seahawks alive in the playoff hunt and eliminating the team that drafted him in the process. In a must-win game during the regular-season finale against the Los Angeles Rams, he completed 19 of 31 passes for 213 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions in the 19–16 overtime victory. During the game, Smith became the Seahawks’ single-season passing leader, surpassing Russell Wilson's mark of 4,219 yards set back in 2016. With the win and the Green Bay Packers' loss to the Detroit Lions later that night, the Seahawks clinched a playoff berth as the seventh seed, marking Smith's first playoff appearance.
Smith finished the regular season with numerous career highs, completing 399 of 572 passes, with a league-leading 69.8% completion percentage, for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a 100.9 passer rating in 17 games to go along with 68 carries for 366 yards and a touchdown. He was also the only quarterback to take every offensive snap for his team that season. Smith was named Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press and the PFWA. In addition, the PFWA named him as their Most Improved Player.
In Smith's first career postseason start, the Seahawks faced the San Francisco 49ers, where he completed 25 of 35 passes for 253 yards two touchdowns, and an interception while also losing a fumble as the Seahawks lost on the road by a score of 41–23 in the Wild Card Round.
2023 season
On March 14, 2023, Smith re-signed with the Seahawks on a three-year, $75 million deal.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
Jets franchise records
Most passing yards in a single season by a rookie quarterback (2013): 3,046
Seahawks franchise records
Highest completion percentage in a single season: 69.8% (2022)
Most passing yards in a season: 4,282 (2022)
Most pass completions in a single season: 399 (2022)
Most pass attempts in a single season: 572 (2022)
Personal life
Smith is a Christian, frequently posting about his faith on his Twitter account.
See also
List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders
References
External links
Seattle Seahawks bio
West Virginia Mountaineers bio
1990 births
Living people
African-American players of American football
American Christians
American football quarterbacks
American people of Bahamian descent
Los Angeles Chargers players
Miramar High School alumni
National Conference Pro Bowl players
New York Giants players
New York Jets players
People from Miramar, Florida
Seattle Seahawks players
Players of American football from Broward County, Florida
West Virginia Mountaineers football players