Hall of Fame
Position: Quarterback
Years: 2002-04
Place of Birth: Bremerton, WA
Date of Birth: May 7, 1984
Jersey Number: 11
Height: 6-4
Weight: 215
High School: Helix (La Mesa, CA)
An exceptionally gifted passer and runner, Alex Smith went 21-1 as a starter, establishing himself as a transformational player during a new era of college football and the emergence of the spread offense. The La Mesa, California, product now becomes the first player from Utah to enter the College Football Hall of Fame.
Selected as a First Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America in 2004, Smith finished fourth the Heisman Trophy voting while claiming Sports Illustrated National Player of the Year honors. A Mountain West Conference (MWC) First Team selection in 2004 and Second Team in 2003, Smith led the Utes to MWC titles in 2003 and 2004. He was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Year in 2004.
Appearing in just two games as a freshman, Smith became the starter as a sophomore in 2003 after Urban Meyer took over as the Utes new head coach. In 11 games, Smith threw for 2,247 yards with 15 touchdowns, culminating with a win in the Liberty Bowl and a No. 21 final AP ranking. The following season, Smith led Utah to its first-ever 12-0 season and a BCS bowl berth, the Fiesta Bowl against Pitt. Alex Smith claimed MVP honors in the game, passing for 328 yards and four touchdowns in the 35-7 win. The Fiesta Bowl appearance marked the first time a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference played in a BCS bowl, earning the Utes the distinction as the inaugural "BCS Buster." The Utes would finish at No. 4 in the final AP Poll.
During the 2004 season, Smith ranked second nationally in efficiency rating (176.5), third in yards per attempt (9.3), fifth in completion percentage (67.5), and fifth in passing touchdowns (32). At the conference level, he set the record for career completion percentage (66.3% – now ranks fifth), and he led the MWC in passing (2,952 yards) and all-purpose yards per game (298.6 ypg) during 2004 season.
Smith holds Utes records for career pass efficiency (164.4), career yards per play (7.19), single-season touchdown passes (32 in 2004) and single-season total touchdowns (42 in 2004). He set Utah records for career completion percentage (63.3% -- now 2nd), single-season pass efficiency (176.5 in 2004 – now 2nd), and career quarterback wins (21 – now 4th). Smith finished his career with 389 completions for 5,203 yards and 47 touchdowns, adding 286 rushes for 1,072 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground.
Smith also excelled in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year honors and as a First Team Academic All-America pick in 2004. He was also a two-time Academic All-Mountain West selection.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco, he played 16 years for the 49ers, Chiefs and Commanders. He was a three-time Pro Bowl selection, and he was named the recipient of the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award after recovering from a life-threatening injury to his leg.
Currently residing in Atherton, California, Smith works as an ESPN analyst and public speaker. He founded the Alex Smith Foundation, which provides support for foster teens, and the Guardian Scholars Program, which helps foster youths transition to college. He has testified at legislative hearings in California and in Congress on behalf of foster children, and the Boston Globe recognized his foundation in 2013 as one of the most effective athlete-run charities.
The Alex Smith Strength & Conditioning Center, which opened in the summer of 2009 at Utah, bears his name, and he appeared as a speaker at the NFF Campbell Trophy® Summit in 2022 and 2023. He was inducted into the Utah Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 and the Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2020.
