From late bloomer to NFL star: the resilient journey of Za'Darius Smith
In short: He didn't even start playing football until his senior year of high school. Yet, this Alabama native transformed from a basketball player into a dominant NFL defensive end, navigating massive contracts, career-altering injuries, and profound personal loss to remain a force on the field.
Born in 1992, Za'Darius Smith’s path to professional football was unconventional. Unlike many elite prospects, he played basketball throughout high school and only picked up football during his senior year at Greenville High School. After two years at East Mississippi Community College, where he recorded 11 sacks, he transferred to the University of Kentucky. His collegiate performance, including a season in 2014 with 60 tackles, propelled him into the 2015 NFL Draft, where the Baltimore Ravens selected him in the fourth round.
Smith's professional career has been defined by high-stakes production and significant financial shifts. After a productive stint in Baltimore, he signed a massive $66 million contract with the Green Bay Packers in 2019. During his time in Green Bay, he achieved a career-high of 13.5 sacks in a single regular season. However, injuries complicated his tenure; a back injury forced him onto the non-football injury list in 2021, eventually leading the Packers to release him in March 2022 to save $15.3 million in salary cap space.
The later stages of his career saw him move through several organizations, including the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions. His resilience was tested not just on the field, but personally; he announced his retirement in 2026 following a period of intense grief after losing his mother, grandmother, and father. Yet, his passion for the game remained, leading him to end his retirement in August 2026 by signing a $6 million deal with the Atlanta Falcons to reunite with former coach Kevin Stefanski.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Za'Darius Smith
- Also: Wikidata — Za'Darius Smith · CC0
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