Justin Smith ( American football ) Justin Smith ( born September 30 , 1979 ) is an American football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League ( NFL ) . He played college football for the University of Missouri and was an All - American . He was chosen by the Cincinnati Bengals with the fourth overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft . Early years . Smith was born in Jefferson City , Missouri . He attended Jefferson City High School , where he played high school football for the Jefferson City Jays . College career . While majoring in General Studies at Missouri he entered the 2001 NFL Draft following his junior year . In his junior season at Missouri he logged 11 sacks , 24 tackles - for - loss and 97 total tackles . His sacks and tackles - for - loss set school season records , and he set the school ' s sacks record two years in a row , having logged eight as a sophomore . As a junior he earned First - team All - America honors from the Football Writers Association of America and was a unanimous selection to First - team All - Big 12 . As a sophomore he also earned First - team All - Big 12 honors . In 1998 , he became the first true freshman since 1986 to start every game for Missouri . Professional career . Cincinnati Bengals . Justin was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in first round ( fourth overall ) of the 2001 NFL draft . He signed with the team on September 8 , following protracted contract negotiations , and had roster exemption for the September 9th season opener vs . New England . He signed a six year , $ 10 million contract that included a $ 1 . 25 million signing bonus . Despite missing all of the preseason plus the first regular - season game , Smith logged a Bengals rookie - record 8 . 5 sacks , breaking mark of 8 . 0 set by James Francis in 1990 . He finished second on the line in total tackles ( 53 ) and first in solos ( 41 ) and had the second - most sacks by an NFL rookie in 2001 , topped only by the 9 . 0 of Pittsburgh ’ s Kendrell Bell . In his second season with the Bengals , he started every game at RDE and led team in sacks ( 6 . 5 ) , led defensive line in tackles ( 59 ) and also led the team in sack yardage ( 56 ) . He played 95 . 5 percent of the defensive snaps ( 934 of 978 ) , second on team . He ended the season with 6 . 5 sacks , giving him a total of 15 for his first two seasons , most by a Cincinnati Bengal in his first two seasons since 1976 - 77 . In his third season with the Bengals , he recorded 60 tackles of which 41 were solo . He also added another 5 . 0 sacks . Where he also played as an outside linebacker . His fourth season saw him lead team in sacks ( 8 . 0 ) and sack yardage ( 70 . 5 ) . He also lead the defense in snaps played ( 94 . 4 percent ) , and he recorded 70 tackles . In 2005 , Smith led the team once again in sacks ( 6 . 0 ) , making it his third time to lead the team in his five seasons . In his other two seasons , he finished one sack or less behind the team leader . By the end of his fifth year , he had moved into fifth place on Bengals all - time sacks list with a total of 34 . On February 15 , 2007 the Bengals designated the franchise tag on him . He signed the one - year franchise contract that earned him $ 8 . 64 million in 2007 . He led the league in assisted tackles in 2007 with 29 . San Francisco 49ers . On March 1 , 2008 he signed a six - year , $ 45 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers . The deal included an $ 11 million signing bonus . In his first season with San Francisco , Smith registered 7 sacks , 73 tackles and one interception . Smith was selected for four consecutive Pro Bowl s from 2009 to 2012 . In 2011 and 2012 , he was named to the Associated Press All - Pro team both as a Defensive End and as a Defensive Tackle . He was eligible for the honor at both positions because the 49ers used him as a DE in their 3 - 4 base defense , while frequently moving him inside to DT for their 4 - 2 nickel defense . He had been mentioned by many pundits as a candidate to win the 2011 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award , and finished third with 6 out of 50 votes . Smith appeared on the NFL ' s Top 100 players of 2012 , and was projected by his peers to be the 17th best player coming into the 2012 season . Personal life . Smith is originally from the town of Holts Summit , Missouri , which is near Jefferson City , the state capital . He earned All - State honors and was two - time all - district football choice at Jefferson City High School . While at JCHS , he was selected to SuperPrep ' s All - American and Top 50 teams as a senior . He now lives year - round in San Jose , California with his wife and dogs , and enjoys playing golf . His favorite cartoon character is Superman . According to Smith , sushi is the best meal before a game . His dogs ' names are Harley and Lady . He is also owner of Railwood Golf Club in Holts Summit , Missouri .