Andre Smith

Andre Smith Jr. (born April 20, 1997) is an American professional football linebacker. He played college football at North Carolina.

Early life Smith attended Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida. As a senior, he tallied 65 tackles with 5.5 being for loss. He committed to play football for the North Carolina Tar Heels in October 2013.

College career As a true freshman in 2015, Smith played in all of North Carolina's 14 games. He tallied 53 tackles, two being for losses, one interception, one pass breakup, and one forced fumble.

In 2016, Smith played in all 13 games, starting 12 of them at middle linebacker. He made 113 tackles, second on the team, along with one interception, one sack, three pass deflections, and one forced fumble.

As a junior in 2017, Smith suffered a knee injury in North Carolina's second game against Louisville, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season. In only two games, he tallied 21 tackles and a 73 yard interception return. After the season, he declared for the 2018 NFL draft.

Professional career

Carolina Panthers Smith was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in seventh round (234th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft, using the 7th round pick acquired from a trade that sent Kelvin Benjamin to the Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo Bills On August 31, 2020, Smith was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a conditional 2023 seventh-round pick. He was waived on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day. He was elevated to the active roster on September 19, October 13, and October 24 for the team's weeks 2, 5, and 7 games against the Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans and New York Jets, and reverted to the practice squad after each game. He was promoted to the active roster on October 27.

On March 6, 2021, Smith signed a two-year contract extension with the Bills.

Smith was suspended the first six games of the 2022 season for violating the league’s policy against performance-enhancing substances. Smith was released from the Bills on October 17, 2022.

Tennessee Titans On November 15, 2022, Smith was signed to the Titans practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster on December 29.

Atlanta Falcons On May 15, 2023, Smith signed with the Atlanta Falcons. He was released on August 29, 2023, and re-signed to the practice squad. On September 27, 2023, Smith was promoted to the active roster. He was released on October 10 but was re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was signed to the active roster on November 7.

Denver Broncos On June 13, 2024, Smith signed with the Denver Broncos. He was released on August 26.

Career statistics Year Team Games Tackles Interceptions Fumbles GP GS Comb Solo Ast Sck PDef Int Yds Avg Lng TDs FF FR 2018 CAR 3 0 3 1 2 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2019 CAR 16 0 5 5 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2020 BUF 12 0 9 8 1 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2021 BUF 15 0 10 4 6 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2022 TEN 5 0 6 4 2 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2023 ATL 11 1 19 13 6 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Total 62 1 52 35 17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2