2014 Football Roster
Roster
Preston Smith
- Position:
- DL
- Height:
- 6-6
- Weight:
- 270
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Stone Mountain, GA
- High School/Previous School:
- Stephenson HS
CAREER STATISTICS
2015 Senior Bowl Participant
2014 First Team All-SEC: Coaches’
2014 Second Team All-SEC: Associated Press
Senior Bowl National Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 20, 2014)
Three-Time SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week (Sept. 1, 8, 13, 2014)
2013 Liberty Bowl Most Outstanding Defensive Player
CAREER: Star defensive end who blossomed as a junior and finished his career as one of the SEC’s top senior players ... One of the most disruptive and athletic defensive linemen in school history who forced seven turnovers in his career (five forced fumbles and two interceptions) … Became a full-time starter as a sophomore in 2012 ... Played in 47 games with 24 starts ... Recorded 134 tackles, 27 tackles for a loss of 139 yards and 16 sacks for a loss of 100 yards … Forced at least one fumble in each season and finished with five total … The only player in SEC history to be named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for three-consecutive weeks (Sept. 1, 8 and 15, 2014), becoming the first league player since Johnny Manziel to win three-straight weekly conference honors … Selected to the Senior Bowl following his 2014 campaign … Recorded at least one tackle for loss in 12 of his final 13 games.
2014 SENIOR SEASON: A first-team All-SEC defensive end as selected by the league’s coaches … Also was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week for three consecutive weeks … Started all 13 games at defensive end … Led the squad in tackles for loss (15), sacks (nine) and quarterback hurries (15) … Notched two interceptions, forced two fumbles and ranked second in the SEC and eighth nationally in blocked kicks with two … Ranked sixth in the SEC in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss … Recorded his first career interception and first career blocked kick in the season-opener on Aug. 30 vs. Southern Miss, in addition to collecting two tackles, a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry … Named SEC Defensive Player of the Week again after tallying five tackles and one tackle for loss in the Sept. 6 win vs. UAB, along with returning an interception 21 yards for his first career touchdown … Became the first FBS defensive lineman with a pick six since Sept. 21, 2013 … Tied a career high with two sacks in the Sept. 13 win at South Alabama, while also forcing a fumble and blocking his second field goal of the season … Totaled five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack in the Sept. 20 win at No. 8 LSU … Registered four tackles, one sack and a career-high four quarterback hurries in the Oct. 11 win against No. 2 Auburn … Made a season-high six tackles in the road win at Kentucky on Oct. 25, including 1.5 sacks and a pass breakup … Had five tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries against Arkansas … Collected two tackles for loss for -16 yards, including a sack, against UT Martin on Nov. 8 … Recorded three solo tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss and a quarterback hurry at No. 3 Alabama on Nov. 15 … Tied a season high with six tackles, including one for loss, in his Senior Day win against Vanderbilt.
2013 JUNIOR SEASON: One of the leaders on the defensive line who started in 11 games and played in 12 contests ... Missed the Bowling Green game (10/12) ... Racked up 44 tackles – 29 solo – including 6.5 tackles for a loss of 28 yards and 2.5 sacks for a loss of 15 yards ... Ranked third on the squad in tackles for loss ... Registered the second-most quarterback hurries on the team with nine ... Forced first fumble of the campaign at Auburn (9/14), knocking the ball away from Tre Mason after a 13-yard completion in the third quarter ... Went on a five-game streak of collecting at least a half a tackle for loss yardage (LSU, BGSU, UK, SC, at A&M) ... Tallied a career-best three tackles for loss and two sacks in dominant seven-tackle game vs. LSU (10/5) ... Became the first Bulldog with two or more sacks in a game since Fletcher Cox booked 2.0 at Kentucky on Oct. 29, 2011 ... Finished with a career-high eight tackles, including two key tackles for loss in the final drive against Kentucky (10/24) ... Combined with Benardrick McKinney to drop Texas A&M’s (11/9) Johnny Manziel for a nine-yard sack in the second quarter ... Tallied a season-best three quarterback hurries against Alabama (11/16) ... Became first SEC player with three or more quarterback hurries against Alabama since Auburn’s Nick Fairley notched three on Nov. 27, 2009 ... Booked six stops at Arkansas (11/23) with five in the second half and overtime ... Named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player of the Liberty Bowl after recording a game-high six tackles.
2012 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in all 13 games during sophomore season ... Led team with 4.5 sacks ... Also recorded 35 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, fumble recovery and a pair of quarterback hurries ... Recorded three sacks in SEC games, tallying one each in wins over Auburn, Kentucky and Arkansas ... Credited with 1.5 tackles for loss for 12 yards in the victory over the Razorbacks.
2011 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Saw playing time in the last eight games of the season after making collegiate debut in home state at Georgia … Totaled seven tackles, one forced fumble and a pass breakup … Notched a season-best three tackles at UAB … Recorded two tackles and forced a fumble in his first Egg Bowl win against Ole Miss.
HIGH SCHOOL: Rated a three-star prospect by Rivals.com . . . Played for coach Ron Gartrell and led the Jaguars to a 9-2 record in 2010 . . . Credited with 68 total tackles, including 9.0 sacks . . . As a junior, played on an 11-1 Jaguars squad that won the Region 2 crown with a 7-0 record … That team had 29 of 32 senior players sign a college scholarship … Committed to Mississippi State in September 2010.
PERSONAL: Born Preston Demarquis Smith on Nov. 17, 1992 … Majoring in interdisciplinary studies.
SMITH’S CAREER HIGHS
Total Tackles: 8, vs. Kentucky (10-24-13)
Assisted Tackles: 4, (5x) last vs. Georgia Tech (12-31-14)
Solo Tackles: 7, vs. Kentucky (10-24-13)
Tackles For Loss: 3.0, vs. LSU (10-5-13)
Sacks: 2.0, (2x) last at South Alabama (9-13-14)
Forced Fumble: 1, (5x) last vs. UT Martin (11-8-14)
Pass Breakup: 1, (6x) last vs. UT Martin (11-8-14)
Fumble Recovery: 1, vs. Arkansas (11-17-12)
Interceptions: 1, (2x) last vs. UAB (9-6-14)
