Troy Smith was born on July 20, 1984 in Cleveland, Ohio. Smith is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks to ever pass through Ohio State University. A solid combination of speed, arm, strength, and accuracy has allowed Smith to be a top notch player since his high school days.
Troy Smith attended Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio where he was coached by Ted Ginn Sr. On the same team was his future Ohio State teammate, Ted Ginn Jr. After a great junior season, Smith was invited to participate at the nationally renowned elite 11 competition. This is where the top 11 quarterback prospects in the country gather to show off their skills. In addition to playing quarterback, Smith also played wide receiver while at Glenville. During his senior season he threw for nearly 1,000 yards and contributed 12 touchdowns. Although Smith had a solid high school career, many schools were not recruiting him to play quarterback. But when Ohio State came along and said they would let him try at the position, he accepted the offer.
As a freshman at Ohio State, Smith did not see a lot of time on the field. He was relegated to spot duty at running back, as well as returning kicks. Smith started out as the backup quarterback during his sophomore season, but was thrust into action when starter Justin Zwick went down with an injury. He finished off the season by leading the Buckeyes to four wins in the final five games. Unfortunately, he was not allowed to play in the Alamo Bowl because he broke a team rule.
In 2005 Smith continued to improve. The Buckeyes only lost two games, and Smith put up impressive states. He passed for over 2,200 yards, ran for 611, and had a total of 27 touchdowns. But Smith’s real coming out party was the 2006 season. He passed for over 2,500 yards, and had 30 touchdowns. After the season Smith won several awards including the Davey O’Brien award for best college quarterback, and the Heisman Trophy for the best player in college football.
Smith played all four seasons at Ohio State, and is expected to be a high pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.
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