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Jamarius "J'Mar" Smith (born September 24, 1996) is an American professional football quarterback for the Birmingham Stallions of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Louisiana Tech.
Early life
A multi-sport athlete, Smith was a three-star recruit out of Meridian High School in Meridian, Mississippi. At Meridian, he was teammates with Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Raekwon Davis. He accepted a full-scholarship from Louisiana Tech over offers from Mississippi State and Memphis. He was recruited to Louisiana Tech by former NFL quarterback Tim Rattay.
Smith played as a catcher for the Meridian baseball team. He was selected by the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB) in the 24th round of the 2015 MLB Draft, but he declined to sign a professional contract with the team.
College career
As a redshirt senior, Smith started 11 games and was 236-of-367 passing for 2,977 yards and 18 touchdowns on the season. During his redshirt senior season, Smith was suspended for two games for violating athletic department policy. Smith led his team to a 14–0 win over Miami in the 2019 Walk On's Independence Bowl and was named Conference USA's 2019 Football Offensive Player of the Year.
College statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yards | TDs | Int |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Louisiana Tech | 7 | 30 | 43 | 69.7 | 412 | 2 | 1 |
| 2017 | Louisiana Tech | 13 | 229 | 409 | 55.9 | 2,974 | 16 | 5 |
| 2018 | Louisiana Tech | 13 | 264 | 461 | 57.2 | 3,160 | 15 | 10 |
| 2019 | Louisiana Tech | 11 | 236 | 367 | 64.3 | 2,977 | 18 | 5 |
| Totals | 44 | 759 | 1,280 | 59.2 | 9,523 | 51 | 21 | |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) | 218 lb (99 kg) | |||||||||||
| All values from Pro Day | ||||||||||||
New England Patriots
On May 5, 2020, Smith signed as an undrafted free agent with the New England Patriots. On July 26, 2020, he was waived before the start of training camp.
Smith had a tryout with the Green Bay Packers on August 23, 2020.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
He signed with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL on May 17, 2021. He was assigned to the practice roster as the 4th string quarterback. He was released on August 21, 2021.
Birmingham Stallions
Smith was selected in the 12th round of the 2022 USFL draft by the Birmingham Stallions, reuniting with his college head coach Skip Holtz. After leading the Stallions to a victory over the New Jersey Generals in the USFL Kickoff game, Smith was voted USFL Week 1 offensive player of the week. On July 3, Smith won the USFL championship game.
Smith was placed on injured reserve by the team on April 19, 2023. He re-signed with the team on August 11, 2023, and again on August 20, 2024.
USFL career statistics
| League | Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| USFL | 2022 | BHAM | 9 | 7 | 131 | 239 | 54.8 | 1,573 | 6.6 | 10 | 6 | 78.7 | 37 | 191 | 5.2 | 2 |
| 2023 | BHAM | 1 | 1 | 10 | 15 | 66.7 | 160 | 10.7 | 1 | 1 | 96.5 | 2 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | |
Personal life
J'Mar Smith is the son of former NFL defensive lineman Kenny Smith, who played with the New Orleans Saints and Kansas City Chiefs. During his first season with the Birmingham Stallions, Smith was awarded Birmingham Stallions Best Hair Award by his teammates as a joke.