Getty Ravens CB Jimmy Smith at an open training camp practice on July 31, 2021.
After spending his entire 11-year career with the team that drafted him, veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith officially announced his retirement from the NFL on October 3, 2022, having only played for the Baltimore Ravens.
Following Coach Harbaugh’s normal Monday presser, Jimmy Smith will officially retire as a Raven.
Pressers will be available for livestream on our Facebook page, YouTube, app and website beginning at 2:30 p.m.
The team selected him No. 27 overall in the 2011 NFL Draft out of the University of Colorado and even though he never made the Pro Bowl or was named to an AP All-Pro team, Smith was viewed as one of the best shutdown cornerbacks in the league when he was on the field at his peak.
His lack of durability and inconsistent availability due to what felt like a never-ending bout with the injury bug prevented him from being fully recognized for his borderline and often elite play for a solid stretch during his career. When he wasn’t on the field, his presence was evident and sorely missed and when he was healthy and available, Smith was as dominant as they come and could match up with elite wide receivers and tight ends alike given his rare blend of size, length, and athleticism.
He appeared in 128 career games and made 90 starts in the regular season and appeared in 10 playoff games and made three starts. Over that span, he recorded 374 total tackles including eight for loss, 74 pass breakups, 14 interceptions, three sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and three touchdowns.
Smith is walking away from the game at the age of 34 and in his last few years with the team, he still provided quality and experienced depth to the secondary. He was instrumental to the growth of All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey who was in attendance for his retirement ceremony and was a staple in both the locker room and Baltimore community as well as one of the franchise’s most recognizable faces around town.
Most Notable Moment As A Raven
While veteran inside linebacker Josh Bynes who is back on the team for the third time made the final tackle on the final play of the team’s victory over the San Fransisco 49ers in Superbowl 47, Smith was the player that was targeted in coverage on the famous final goal line stand that prevented them from scoring the game-winning touchdown.
He blanketed former 49ers and Ravens wide receiver, Michael Crabtree, on both third and fourth-and-goal from the Baltimore five-yard line. Even though Harbaugh’s younger brother Jim who was the head coach of San Fransico at the time will still protest that pass interference should’ve been called on Smith, he stepped up in the biggest moment of his young career at the time in just his second season in the league.
In honor of Jimmy Smith retiring from the NFL, here he is helping the Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII by making one of the biggest plays of the game
Injuries Drove Him to Retire
Smith is no stranger to the grind that comes with the rehabilitation process that comes with returning from and playing through injuries. He had only played a full season twice in his career and missed at least four games in seven of his 11 seasons.
The more advanced he got in his career, the rehabs became grueling and daunting to the point where the possibility of having to again was enough to make him want to hang up his cleats. he dealt with a torn Achilles, a Lisfranc foot injury, and a sports hernia to name a few.
“I’ve been through too many,” Smith said in his press conference on October 3, 2022. “It was always an uphill climb for me, trying to get back to who I was before. It was a battle early on, and the older you get it becomes tougher. I’m kind of over just having to battle back, constantly.”
“I’ve been through too many injuries, and I always had a sense of [feeling] like I’m always trying to get back to even.”