Terry Smith (American football, born 1969) explained

Terry Smith
Current Title:Cornerbacks coach
Current Team:Penn State
Current Conference:Big Ten
Birth Date:29 July 1969
Player Years1:1987–1991
Player Team1:Penn State
Player Years2:1992
Player Team2:Washington Redskins
Player Years3:1993
Player Team3:Toronto Argonauts
Player Years4:1994–1995
Player Years5:1996
Player Team5:Albany Firebirds
Player Positions:Wide receiver
Coach Years1:1996
Coach Team1:Hempfield HS (PA) (assistant)
Coach Years2:1997–2000
Coach Team2:Duquesne (PGC)
Coach Years3:2001
Coach Team3:Gateway HS (PA) (OC)
Coach Years4:2002–2012
Coach Team4:Gateway HS (PA)
Coach Years5:2013
Coach Team5:Temple (WR)
Coach Years6:2014–2015
Coach Team6:Penn State (CB)
Coach Years7:2016–2020
Coach Team7:Penn State (AHC/CB)
Coach Years8:2021–present
Coach Team8:Penn State (assoc. HC/CB)
Awards:

Terry M. Smith (born July 29, 1969) is an American college football coach and former player. He is the associate head coach and cornerbacks coach for Pennsylvania State University, a position he has held since 2021. He played college football for Penn State.

Early life

Originally from Aliquippa, Pa,[1] Smith and his family moved to Monroeville, Pa where he was a star quarterback for the Gateway Gators. Smith led the Gators to back-to-back WPIAL football titles in 1985 and 1986.[2] Considered one of the greatest WPIAL championships ever played,[3] the 1986 game featured an undefeated Gateway team and a North Hills team that was ranked No. 1 by USA Today. Smith scored Gateways only touchdown as they defeated North Hills 7–6.[4]

College career

Nicknamed Superfly, Smith, was a four-year letter winner from 1988–91 with the Nittany Lions who still ranks among the schools’ best with 108 career receptions and 15 receiving touchdowns.[5] During the 1991 season, posting a 40-yard dash time of 4.4 seconds, Smith came up big against USC, grabbing 10 receptions to tie a Penn State single-game mark and gaining 165 yards to set a new school record.[5] His Senior season, Smith broke school records with 55 catches for 846 yards and eight scores, helping Penn State to an 11–2 record and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Tennessee.[6] After breaking the single season receptions record in a game against Rutgers, Joe Paterno said about Smith, "I don't know whether there's a better wideout in the country as far as what he does. He catches the ball, he blocks, he runs with the ball, he's in the football game -- he's just a great player."[7]

Professional career

Drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 11th round of the 1992 NFL draft, Smith spent the following three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts and the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League. Smith also spent one season with the Albany Firebirds of the Arena league in 1996.[8] [9]

Coaching career

Early coaching career

In 1996, Smith began his coaching career as an assistant at Hempfield High School. From there Smith spent the next four seasons as the passing coordinator for the Duquesne Dukes. In 2001, Smith returned to his high school alma mater the Gateway Gators where he served as the offensive coordinator.[8]

The following season Smith was named as the Gators Head Coach and over the next eleven seasons Smith led Gateway to a 101-30 mark and four WPIAL runner-up finishes.[10] In that time Smith sent 23 players to NCAA FBS (I-A) colleges and 17 more to FCS(I-AA) colleges.[11] Smith, who also served as the athletic director, departed Gateway following the 2012 football season when his athletic director position was reduced to part-time. His salary was also cut in half and the district instituted a new rule that no administrator could coach. Following a January recruiting visit in 2013, the Temple Owls coach and fellow Penn State alum Matt Rhule offered Smith a coaching position as his wide receivers coach.[1]

Penn State

In 2014, James Franklin hired Smith as the Penn State Nittany Lions’ defensive recruiting coordinator and cornerbacks coach, positions he currently maintains.[12] During his first season with the Nittany Lions, the defense finished second in total defense, eighth in scoring, second in pass efficiency and sixth in 3rd down conversion percentage nationally.[13]

Smith added the title of assistant head coach following the season.[14]

Led by sophomore John Reid, who earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades, and Grant Haley, the cornerbacks made several key plays to help the Nittany Lions to the 2016 Big Ten Football Championship Game.[15]

In 2017 Smith's starting cornerbacks, Christian Campbell and Grant Haley, earned All-Big Ten honorable mention accolades, while backup cornerback Amani Oruwariye earned second team honors.[16] That season the Nittany Lions' defense helped Penn State to its second-straight New Year's Six bowl and a Top 10 finish. Also the 16.5 points allowed per game was the fewest since the 2008 team gave up 12.2 per contest.[17] Campbell was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the sixth round (182nd overall) of the 2018 NFL draft.[18]

In 2018, cornerbacks Amani Oruwariye earned first team All-Big Ten honors, while John Reid received honorable mention.[19] Penn State secondary had one of its best seasons since 2014, finishing the season with 13 interceptions and allowing a 53.6 completion rate.[20] The Nittany Lions also held three opponents to 60 or less yards through the air, this was the first time PSU had accomplished this feat since the 1976 season.[21]

In 2019, cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields earned third team All-Big Ten honors.[22] During the 2020 season, Smith was made the lead recruiter for the Philadelphia area. In 2021, Penn State signed its first players from the Philadelphia Public League to a recruiting class since 2016 and the first Philadelphia Catholic League player since 2017.[23]

Personal

Smith received a Bachelors in business management, from the Pennsylvania State University. He and his wife, Alison, have a son, former PSU standout Justin King, and daughter, Haley.[12] Smith, is a class of 2018 WPIAL Hall of Fame inductee.[24]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Harris, John."Ex-Gateway coach Smith mining for talent in Western Pa.", Trib Live, September 24, 2013. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  2. Harlan, Chris."Under Terry Smith, Gateway a WPIAL power again", Trib Live, August 29, 2010. retrieved January 27, 2018.
  3. http://triblive.com/sports/hssports/football/7155851-74/team-wpial-game "WPIAL's Top 10 football champions of all time"
  4. White, Mike."Gateway, North Hills revisit 1986 classic in playoffs", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 6, 2003. retrieved January 27, 2018.
  5. Martin, Chris."Airing it out", The Daily Collegian, September 21, 1991. Retrieved January 27, 2018.
  6. http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archives/article_50443b36-483c-5170-8be1-8dea0c3e8009.html "Former Lions receiver to coach all-star game"
  7. Stevenson, David."Smith sets single-season receiving record in win", The Daily Collegian, October 21, 1991. Retrieved January 27, 2018
  8. Wogenrichhttp, Mark."Smith is a newcomer to Franklin's coaching staff, but not to Penn State", The Morning Call, January 25, 2014. retrieved January 28, 2018.
  9. Faggen, Pete."Four Lions picked in 8th, Smith taken in 11th",The Daily Collegian, April 28, 1992. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  10. Moody, Walt."Penn State football: New assistant coach Terry Smith glad to be back home", Centre Daily Times, January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  11. Frazier, Jim."Coach Terry Smith Leaves Gateway Nest", New Pittsburgh Courier, Retrieved January 24, 2018.
  12. Nelson, Kristen."Meet the Penn State staff: Cornerbacks coach Terry Smith", Altoona Mirror, August 15, 2014. retrieved January 30, 2018.
  13. Web site: Several Nittany Lions Earn Additional All-Big Ten and All-America Accolades . gopsusports.com . 2015 CBS Interactive . January 13, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150428201345/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/121814aaj.html . April 28, 2015 . December 19, 2014.
  14. http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/terry_smith_882998.html Penn State Profile
  15. Web site: Connelly . Steve . Franklin Earns Big Ten Media Coach Of The Year, Several Players Earn All-Big Ten Honors . onwardstate.com . 2016 Onward State . January 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170725152132/http://onwardstate.com/2016/11/29/franklin-earns-big-ten-media-coach-of-the-year-several-players-earn-all-big-ten-honors/ . July 25, 2017 . November 29, 2016.
  16. Web site: View the 2017 All-Big Ten Football Defensive Teams . btn.com . 2017 Big Ten Network . January 16, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190403110046/http://btn.com/2017/11/28/view-the-2017-all-big-ten-football-defensive-teams/ . April 3, 2019 . November 28, 2017.
  17. Web site: Jones . Ben . Penn State Football: Seven Numbers Behind The Success Of 2017 . StateCollege.com . CityPortals . January 16, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180121030027/http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/penn-state-football-seven-numbers-behind-the-success-of-2017,1475161/ . January 21, 2018 . January 15, 2018.
  18. Web site: Cardinals Add CB Chris Campbell In Sixth Round. https://web.archive.org/web/20180501203750/http://www.azcardinals.com/news-and-events/article-2/Cardinals-Add-CB-Chris-Campbell-In-Sixth-Round/bc24808b-b889-473a-b0fa-a48bd7aac53b. dead. May 1, 2018. Odegard, Kyle. AZCardinals.com. April 28, 2018. January 16, 2020.
  19. Web site: Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams for Defense and Special Teams and Select Individual Honors . . 2018 Big Ten Conference . January 19, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181129012756/https://bigten.org/news/2018/11/27/big-ten-announces-football-all-conference-teams-for-defense-and-special-teams-and-select-individual-honors.aspx . November 29, 2018 . November 27, 2018.
  20. Web site: Wogenrich . Mark . State of Penn State: Secondary 'in a much better position than 5 years ago' . . January 19, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200119051155/https://www.mcall.com/sports/penn-state/mc-spt-penn-state-football-2019-look-secondary-20190215-story.html . January 19, 2020 . February 15, 2019.
  21. Web site: Citrus Bowl Game Notes . gopsusports.com . 2018 Penn State Nittany Lions . January 19, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181219094135/https://gopsusports.com/news/2018/12/14/football-citrus-bowl-game-notes.aspx . December 19, 2018 . December 14, 2018.
  22. Web site: Big Ten Announces Football All-Conference Teams for Defense and Special Teams and Select Individual Honors . . 2019 Big Ten Conference . January 19, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191204022652/https://bigten.org/news/2019/12/3/big-ten-announces-football-all-conference-teams-for-defense-and-special-teams-and-select-individual-honors.aspx . December 4, 2019 . December 3, 2019.
  23. Web site: Penn State coaches thrilled with signing 3 high school players out of Philadelphia after a long drought. Joe. Juliano. Philadelphia Inquirer. December 15, 2021. September 23, 2022.
  24. Harlan, Chris."Gateway trio among WPIAL Hall of Fame class", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, April 12, 2018, retrieved April 15, 2018.