National Football Foundation

A remarkable talent both on and off the playing field, Tulsa's Paul Smith successfully balances athletics and academics with one of the lengthiest community service schedules for a student-athlete in the nation. 

The reigning Conference USA Scholar-Athlete of the Year for Football, Smith earned ESPN The Magazine/ CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-America honors in 2006. He has been named to Tulsa's President's List five times and to the Dean's List twice, while also earning recognition as a member of the Athletics Director's Honor Roll. The Communications major plans to pursue a postgraduate degree in Management. 

On pace to set school records in both career passing and all-time total offense, Smith garnered C-USA Second Team laurels in 2006 en route to being named the MVP of the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl. This season, the Owasso, Okla. native has completed 168 passes for 2,528 yards and 21 touchdowns. The two-time team captain leads the conference in passing and total offense, averaging 361 and 366 yards respectively. 

An active participant in community service, Smith has been a guest speaker at nearly 20 events in the Tulsa area this year alone. He also leads Praise & Worship at Fellowship of Christian Athletes meetings every Tuesday of the academic year. The AFCA Good Works Team honoree has volunteered for the Tulsa Inner-City Camp and visits local elementary schools and children's hospitals. 

Smith is the third Golden Hurricane named an NFF National Scholar-Athlete, following Garrett Mills as the latest in 2005. Smith was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent after the 2008 NFL Draft and spent two seasons with the team. He is currently a financial advisor for Voya Financial, a premier retirement, investment and insurance company.