Troy Smith

Troy Smith is a former NFL quarterback and one of the most successful American college football players of the century. During his time playing for the Ohio State Buckeyes, he won a plethora of awards, including the prestigious Heisman Memorial Trophy, presented annually to college football’s most outstanding player. Four years after graduation, ESPN ranked him the Greatest Big Ten Player of the 2000s. Over 15 years later, he is still ranked as the greatest quarterback in Ohio State’s history.

Smith was born in Columbus, Ohio, in July 1984. After a troubled high school career, he found stability and encouragement playing for Coach Jim Tressel’s legendary Buckeyes team of the mid-2000s. Despite being redshirted during his freshman year, he made an immediate impact as a sophomore, and during his senior year, he won everything going, including the Heisman Trophy, Chic Harley Award, Walter Camp Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Archie Griffin Award, All-American honours, Associated Press Player of the Year Award, Sporting News Player of the Year Award, and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Award. If that wasn’t enough, after he graduated, the number-10 shirt was retired in his honour.

In 2007, Smith was unsurprisingly one of the star picks of the NFL Draft, being signed up by the Baltimore Ravens. He played for them for three years before moving to the San Francisco 49ers. He then spent time playing in Canada before moving on from football in 2014.