Le Kevin Smith Le Kevin Smith ( born July 21 , 1982 in Macon , Georgia ) is a former American football defensive tackle of the National Football League , who played five seasons from 2006 - 2010 . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft . Smith was a member of the Patriots ' 2007 16 - 0 team and recorded half a sack during Super Bowl XLII . He ended his NFL career in 2010 with the Denver Broncos . He played college football at Nebraska . Early years . Smith attended Stratford Academy in Macon , Georgia , where he helped Stratford win three Class 3A titles state titles as a defensive lineman . He was the USA Today Georgia Player of the Year and was a Rivals . com All - American . He also lettered in track and field , winning four state titles in the discus and two in the shot put . It is noted that during his senior year , the " Macon Telegraph " called him the " real deal " after he dominated rival Tattnall Square Academy ' s star center Brandon Dillard . College career . After graduating from high school , Smith attended the University of Nebraska . After redshirt ing in 2001 , Smith played in all 14 games in 2002 . As a sophomore in 2003 , Smith started all 12 games at defensive tackle , recording 44 tackles . He moved to nose guard in 2004 , and was an All - Big 12 honorable mention after recording 43 tackles and 2 . 5 sacks . In his 2005 senior season , Smith set a career high with six sacks while starting all 11 games at defensive tackle . He finished his college career with 36 tackles for a loss , the second - highest total for a defensive lineman in Nebraska history . Smith graduated with a degree in Construction Management . Professional career . New England Patriots . Smith was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round ( 206th overall ) in the 2006 NFL Draft . He was inactive or did not play in all but three games of his rookie season in 2006 . He appeared in 13 games in 2007 , seeing time as a reserve defensive lineman and on special teams . Smith was active for 15 games in 2007 , recording a career - high 14 tackles . He also was a member of the Patriots ' kickoff return unit , which blocked for Ellis Hobbs ' 96 - yard return against the Oakland Raiders in Week 15 . The biggest play of his career came during Super Bowl XLII when Smith recorded half a sack on Eli Manning . Smith recorded a career high 14 tackles during the 2008 season . On August 17 , 2009 , Smith ' s career as a Patriot came to an end when he was traded to the Denver Broncos on the last day of training camp . Smith ended his career with the Patriots totaling 18 tackles and 1 fumble recovery in 31 games played . Denver Broncos . Smith was acquired by the Denver Broncos on August 17 , 2009 along with a seventh - round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft for the Broncos ' fifth - round pick in the 2010 draft . Smith recorded 10 tackles and 1 sack during the 2009 season . He was released on September 7 , 2010 , resigned in late October before being cut once more on November 9 . Retirement . During the 2010 offseason , Smith went to his doctor for a " random MRI test " . Unfortunately , the doctor told Smith that he had sustained a neck injury and found spinal cord damage in his C3 / C4 . Two months after surgery , Smith fully recovered from the neck fusion . Doctors said he could go back to physical training , but he could never play football again because he was a lineman and would put himself at too much risk of permanently damaging his spinal cord . Smith informed the NFL about his retirement and is no longer a player for the league . Currently , Smith is looking to go to grad school in search of his next career . He and his wife , Sahara , just had a baby on October 19th , 2012 .