Antonio Smith life and biography

Antonio Smith is an American football defensive end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League.

Selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round (135th overall) of the 2004 NFL Draft...Signed by Cardinals on July 27, 2004...released by Cardinals on September 5, 2004...Re-signed by Cardinals to practice squad on September 6, 2004...Signed by Cardinals to active roster on December 15, 2004...Assigned by Cardinals to Hamburg Sea Devils in 2005 NFL Europe enhancement allocation program on February 14, 2005...Released by Cardinals on September 4, 2005...Re-signed by Cardinals to practice squad on September 8, 2005...Signed by Cardinals to active roster on October 6, 2005...Re-signed with Cardinals on April 5, 2007...Re-signed with Cardinals on April 3, 2008...Signed by the Houston Texans on March 1, 2009.

PRO:
A physical and versatile veteran defensive end who joined the Texans as an unrestricted free agent prior to the 2009 season...started 15 of 16 games in his first season in Houston and registered 33 tackles, 4.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries...played in 61 games with 39 starts over five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals...spent the spring of 2005 with the Hamburg Sea Devils of NFL Europe, starting nine-of-10 games and finished with six sacks, 28 tackles and a forced fumble while earning all-NFL Europe honors...worked his way up from the Cardinals practice squad to become a regular starter, eventually starting all three playoff games for the Cardinals in their run to Super Bowl XLII.

2009 (Houston 16/15):
Made his Texans debut, starting at LDE and recording three solo tackles and a forced fumble vs. the New York Jets (9/13)...had three tackles and one quarterback hit at Tennessee (9/20)...made two solo tackles in his start vs. Jacksonville (9/27)...made two solo tackes, including one for a loss vs. Oakland (10/4) as well as recording two hits on the quarterback and recovering a fumble...had one solo tackle and one hit on the quarterback at Arizona (10/11)...assisted on one tackle and recovered a fumble at Cincinnati (10/18)...had one solo tackle and a pass defensed vs. San Francisco (10/25)...made his first sack as a Texan as part of a day that included two tackles (two solo), three quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss at Buffalo (11/1)...had two solo tackles and one sack for a loss of six yards to go along with a forced fumble at Indianapolis (11/8)...made three solo tackles including one for a loss and had a quarterback hit vs. Tennessee (11/23)...made one solo tackle vs. Indianapolis (11/29)...teamed with DE Connor Barwin on a 10-yard sack of Jaguars QB David Garrard at Jacksonville (12/6) and finished with two total tackles and two quarterback hits...made one solo tackle and assisted on another vs. Seattle (12/13)...made four tackles (three solo) at St. Louis (12/20) including a sack or Rams QB Keith Null for a loss of eight yards...had two tackles (one solo), had three hits on the quarterback and combined with DT Jeff Zgonina for a sack on quarterback Chad Henne for a loss of eight yards at Miami (12/27).

2008 (Arizona 16/10):
Started 10 regular-season games and three playoff games for the NFC Champion Cardinals, including Super Bowl XLII…finished with 41 total tackles, including 31 solo stops, and 3.5 sacks…forced two fumbles and recovered three…started at Carolina (10/26) and made three tackles (two solos)…recorded two solo tackles, both behind the line of scrimmage, at St. Louis (11/2)…started vs. San Francisco (11/9)…recorded three solo tackles and his first sack of the season for an eight-yard loss at Seattle (11/16)…recorded four solo tackles, including two solos, and a half sack at Philadelphia (11/27)…started and recorded a season-high five solo tackles and one sack vs. Minnesota (12/14)…recorded three solo tackles and a sack in playoff-clinching win vs. Seattle (12/28)…recorded three solo tackles and a sack in NFC Wild Card Playoff victory over Atlanta (1/3/09)…started and recorded two solo tackles and a sack in NFC Divisional Playoff victory at Carolina (1/10/09)…started and recorded one solo tackle in NFC Championship Game victory over Philadelphia (1/18/09)…started and notched two tackles, including one solo, in Super Bowl XLII vs. Pittsburgh (2/1/09).

2007 (Arizona 16/13):
Had a career year, starting 13 of 16 games played and registering a career-high 60 tackles and 5.5 sacks while finishing tied for third in the NFL in defensive fumble recoveries with three…recovered a second-quarter fumble at 49ers 36-yard line to set up touchdown to put Cards up 10-7 in the season opener at San Francisco (9/10)…led team with one sack and one quarterback hit in the home opener vs. Sea (9/16)…tied season-highs with seven total tackles and five unassisted tackles as well as recorded one sack and one tackle for loss vs. Pittsburgh (9/30)…recorded one quarterback hit and one sack vs. Carolina (10/14) to set a new single-season career-high with 3.5 sacks in six games…totaled one forced fumble, two quarterback hits and recovered a fumble and advanced it to the Arizona 49 yard-line in the third quarter that led to a touchdown vs. Detroit (11/11)…recovered first-quarter fumble as well as one quarterback pressure and one quarterback hit vs. Cleveland (12/2).

2006 (Arizona 16/8):
Appeared in all 16 games for the first time in his career, starting eight, while also recording 29 tackles…collected one tackle and recovered his first career fumble late in the fourth quarter vs. St. Louis (9/24)…collected four tackles while registering his first sack of the season when he corralled Michael Vick in the second quarter at Atlanta (10/1)…received his first start of the season at defensive tackle, collected two tackles and two QB pressures vs. Chicago (10/16)…collected three tackles, a half sack and a quarterback pressure at St. Louis (12/3)…had four tackles, one sack and a QB pressure vs. Seattle (12/10)…collected five tackles, two tackles for a loss and a fumble recovery which he picked up and ran back four yards for a TD to pull the Cardinals to within three points in the second quarter vs. Denver (12/17).

2005 (Arizona 11/8):
Released by the Cardinals during the final roster cut on 9/3 after spending training camp with the team and was re-signed to the practice squad on 9/8 where he spent the first four weeks of the season…recorded his first career start at Detroit (11/13) as injuries decimated the defensive line; recorded three tackles including one for a loss…recorded two tackles and forced a fumble vs. Jacksonville (11/27)…recorded his first two career sacks at Houston (12/18) bringing down QB David Carr while also adding one tackle…sacked Colts QB Jim Sorgi for his third sack of the season at Indianapolis (1/1).

2004 (Arizona 2/0):
Signed to the 53-man active roster on 12/15 after spending the first 13 weeks as a member of the practice squad … saw action on defense in his first game on the active roster vs. St. Louis (12/19) and @ Seattle (12/26) and recorded one QB pressure…deactivated for the season finale vs. Tampa Bay (1/2).

COLLEGE:
Two-year starter at Oklahoma State after transferring from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College…though his senior season was shortened by a leg injury, still managed to record two-year totals of 60 tackles (30 solos), 8.5 sacks, seven quarterback pressures and three pass deflections in 24 games.

PERSONAL:
Full name Antonio DeShonta Smith...attended John Marshall (Oklahoma City, OK) High School where he was named all-city and honorable mention all-state as a senior…did not begin playing football until ninth grade at the urging of a friend…also lettered in track and earned all-city recognition in shot put…education major at Oklahoma State.

Read more