Rod Smart
No. 30, 24, 32, 39 | |||||||
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Position: | Kick returner | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Lakeland, Florida, U.S. | January 9, 1977||||||
Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Lakeland (Lakeland, Florida) | ||||||
College: | Western Kentucky | ||||||
Undrafted: | 2000 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
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* Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Torrold DeShaun "Rod" Smart (born January 9, 1977) is a former professional
Smart first played a professional football season with the
College career
Smart was born in
Smart attended
Track and field
Smart was also a member of the track team at Western Kentucky, where he specialized in the
Personal bests
Event | Time (seconds) | Venue | Date |
---|---|---|---|
55 meters
|
6.36 | Jonesboro, Arkansas | February 27, 2000 |
60 meters
|
6.86 | Indianapolis, Indiana | February 7, 1999 |
100 meters
|
10.56 | Knoxville, Tennessee | May 14, 2000 |
Professional career
San Diego Chargers
Smart signed with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2000. He finished training camp with the team, but was released by the Chargers prior to the start of the 2000 NFL season.[2]
Las Vegas Outlaws
In the Spring of 2001, Smart joined the Las Vegas Outlaws of the XFL and adopted the nickname of "He Hate Me" which he wore on the back of his uniform.[4] He finished the season ranked second in the league in rushing with 555 yards.[5] He also finished third in average rushing yards (3.8 yards per carry), and scored three touchdowns over the course of the one and only XFL season.[5] He led the Outlaws in rushing, and was second on the team in receiving with 27 catches for 245 yards.[6]
Of the over 300 players to don an XFL uniform during its lone 2001 season, league executives noted that while most saw the league solely as a way to further their own careers in hopes of returning to the NFL, Smart fully embraced the league's approach to football and sports entertainment. In the documentary This Was the XFL, Smart stated that had the league survived for a second season, he was certain to have returned and had no intention of trying out for an NFL or CFL position before the XFL collapsed.[7]
"He Hate Me"
"He Hate Me" is the phrase Smart chose to place on the back of his Las Vegas Outlaws football jersey. Though most sports organizations allow only a surname or first initial and surname to be placed on the back of a jersey, XFL rules permitted players' jerseys to be stitched with whatever words they wanted. The Outlaws happened to be playing in the league's first nationally televised game (the one that would, ultimately, be the most widely watched game, as the league's viewership plummeted after that point), and the league's choice of camera angles more akin to video games meant that Smart's jersey was prominently featured on the telecasts. The jersey was the XFL's best seller.
Smart explained the origin of the
Smart stated that he originally planned to use a different nickname on the back of his jersey every week of the season but abandoned that plan when "He Hate Me" became a national sensation. He and his agent also credit the nickname with getting NFL scouts to notice him after the XFL collapsed.[9]
When Smart and the Outlaws played divisional rival the
Edmonton Eskimos
After the end of the XFL season Smart signed with the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL signed Smart to their practice roster on October 2, 2001. He was promoted to the active roster on November 19, 2001, appeared in six regular season games, mainly on special teams, and rushed for six yards on two carries. The Eagles waived Smart at the end of their 2001 season.[2]
Carolina Panthers
In September,
In
Smart's
In 2005, Smart returned to the Panthers healthy, played in 12 games, and led the Panthers with 29 kickoff returns for 615 yards (for a 21.2 yard average). He also recorded nine tackles and one fumble recovery for the Panthers' kick coverage unit. After four seasons, Smart was released by the Panthers on March 1, 2006.[2]
Oakland Raiders
On May 4,
All American Football League
Smart was selected by
Post football
After being released by the Oakland Raiders, Smart became a
Personal life
Smart is a fan of 1970s
On June 18, 2019, Lancaster County, South Carolina, sheriff's deputies declared Smart "missing and endangered" after his family reported that his whereabouts had been unknown since June 12.[14] He was reported by the sheriff's office as having been found safe later the same day he was reported missing.[15]
References
- ^ As stated in the Week 3 XFL Los Angeles at Las Vegas television broadcast on NBC.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Rod Smart #39". Raiders.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
- ^ a b c Sowder, Amy (January 25, 2005). "Meet The Pro: Rod Smart". Lakeland Magazine. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
- ^ "He Hate Me jersey photograph" (JPG). Wac.450f.edgecastcdn.net. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
- ^ a b "XFL Statistical Leaders". All-XFL.com. Retrieved August 21, 2006.
- ^ "2001 Las Vegas Outlaws Final Regular Season Stats". All-XFL.com. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
- ^ Ebersol, Charlie (November 11, 2016). "This Was the XFL". 30 for 30 (ESPN Films).
- ^ a b Silverstein, Tom (January 30, 2004). "Fans love "He Hate Me"". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online. Archived from the original on May 13, 2007. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
- ^ MLB's nickname gimmick won't solve baseball's mounting age issues. The Guardian. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ The Playlist Staff (August 10, 2012). "The Films of Spike Lee: A Retrospective". IndieWire. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
- ^ "Oakland Raiders Transactions (2006-09-02)". Raiders.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2006. Retrieved September 2, 2006.
- ^ Weber, Jim (September 15, 2010). "'He Hate Me' is Finding That He Loves Acting". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ Rohrbach, Ben (September 23, 2015). "XFL's 'He Hate Me' explains nickname in hilarious fashion once again". Sports.Yahoo.com. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
- ^ Boren, Cindy (June 18, 2019). "Former XFL player known as 'He Hate Me' reported missing in South Carolina". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
- ^ "Former Carolina Panthers player reported missing in South Carolina found safe". myfox8.com. June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
Further reading
- "Rod Smart: How I came up with 'He Hate Me'". SI.com.
- Mullin, John (January 23, 2004). "'He Hate Me' rescued by the Panthers". ChicagoTribune.com. Retrieved January 28, 2017.
External links
- "Rod Smart #39". Raiders.com. Archived from the original on August 25, 2006. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
- "32 Rod Smart RB". Panthers.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2005. Retrieved January 28, 2017.