Chris Smelley
Encyclopedia
Christopher Smelley is an American
football
and baseball
player. He is a former starting quarterback
for the Gamecocks
and a current catcher
for the University of Alabama
.
records for yards in a single game (585), and season (4,120). He also set AHSAA records for touchdown passes in a season (59),and for a career (134).
While attending American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, the 6'2" 221 lb Smelley played on three state championship baseball
teams and was the Class 1A Player of the Year for 2005, but chose to pursue college football over college baseball.
On February 1, 2006 Smelley signed a national letter of intent
to play football
at the University of South Carolina
. He was listed as a top-rated football prospect on ESPN
.com's "Class of 2006". http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2062886&type=story
. In the first two games of the 2006 season he completed 9 of 15 passes for 112 yards. He suffered a heel injury during a practice and was granted a medical redshirt
.
In 2007, after his return from injury he took over the starting position after replacing ineffective starter Blake Mitchell against LSU. Steve Spurrier
announced that Smelley would start against Mississippi State University
on September 29, 2007, a game which earned him SEC Freshman of the week honors.
In 2008, Smelley was the second string quarterback behind Tommy Beecher. Beecher later suffered a concussion in the second half of the first game of the season after throwing four interceptions. Smelley entered the game and completed five passes for five attempts and threw two touchdown passes. He was then named as the starter for the next game against the Vanderbilt Commodores
. Later that year, he completed 22 of 32 passes, threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns during a win against Ole Miss. For his performance he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
He was 9-6 in 15 career starts. For his career, Smelley completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 3,210 yards and 23 touchdowns with 22 interceptions. He ranks in the top 10 on USC’s all-time list in completions (270), attempts (479), completion percentage and passing touchdowns (22).
and Eli Crapnose, Smelley's last name was made fun of on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. He is a former starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
and a current catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
.
High school
In his career Smelley set Alabama High School Athletic AssociationAlabama High School Athletic Association
The Alabama High School Athletic Association , based in Montgomery, is the agency which oversees interscholastic athletic programs for public schools in Alabama....
records for yards in a single game (585), and season (4,120). He also set AHSAA records for touchdown passes in a season (59),and for a career (134).
While attending American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, the 6'2" 221 lb Smelley played on three state championship baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams and was the Class 1A Player of the Year for 2005, but chose to pursue college football over college baseball.
On February 1, 2006 Smelley signed a national letter of intent
Letter of intent
A letter of intent is a document outlining an agreement between two or more parties before the agreement is finalized. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement...
to play football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at the University of South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. He was listed as a top-rated football prospect on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
.com's "Class of 2006". http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/print?id=2062886&type=story
University of South Carolina
He arrived at South Carolina in 2006 and made two appearances in a backup role for the South Carolina GamecocksSouth Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
. In the first two games of the 2006 season he completed 9 of 15 passes for 112 yards. He suffered a heel injury during a practice and was granted a medical redshirt
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
.
In 2007, after his return from injury he took over the starting position after replacing ineffective starter Blake Mitchell against LSU. Steve Spurrier
Steve Spurrier
Stephen Orr Spurrier is an American college football coach and player. Spurrier is the current head coach of the University of South Carolina's Gamecocks football team. He is also a former professional player and coach...
announced that Smelley would start against Mississippi State University
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
on September 29, 2007, a game which earned him SEC Freshman of the week honors.
In 2008, Smelley was the second string quarterback behind Tommy Beecher. Beecher later suffered a concussion in the second half of the first game of the season after throwing four interceptions. Smelley entered the game and completed five passes for five attempts and threw two touchdown passes. He was then named as the starter for the next game against the Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt Commodores
The Vanderbilt Commodores are the NCAA athletic teams of Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The university fields 16 varsity teams , 14 of which compete in the Southeastern Conference...
. Later that year, he completed 22 of 32 passes, threw for 327 yards and three touchdowns during a win against Ole Miss. For his performance he was named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week.
He was 9-6 in 15 career starts. For his career, Smelley completed 56.4 percent of his passes for 3,210 yards and 23 touchdowns with 22 interceptions. He ranks in the top 10 on USC’s all-time list in completions (270), attempts (479), completion percentage and passing touchdowns (22).
University of Alabama
On January 9, 2009, Smelley declared that he would be transferring from the University of South Carolina to go play baseball (and possibly football) at the University of Alabama. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he must sit out spring semester, though he is still able to practice with the team.Trivia
Along with Gamecocks teammates Ryan SuccopRyan Succop
Ryan Barrow Succop is an American football placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He is the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant after being selected by the Chiefs with the final pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina.-Early years:Succop attended...
and Eli Crapnose, Smelley's last name was made fun of on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.