QB-turned-WR Smith catching on
FLORHAM PARK » Jeff Smith was a quarterback for as long as he can remember, running around would-be tacklers and tossing passes all over football fields in Florida.
He was exceptional by the time he got to high school in Clearwater, also playing wide receiver early as a dual threat on offense. Smith’s tantalizing athleticism took him all the way to Boston College, where he started the final three games of his freshman year in 2015 at quarterback.
But a glut at that position the following season made Smith’s spot on the depth chart uncertain. Thencoach Steve Addazio decided Smith’s blazing speed — he has been clocked at 4.4 seconds in the 40-yard dash — could make him a star. As a wide receiver.
So, Smith began a conversion that’s still in progress. He’s in his second training camp with the Jets trying to make his mark in the NFL at a position he didn’t immediately embrace.
“I wanted to play quarterback,” Smith said. “I played quarterback my whole life, but it ended up being the right choice. It’s worked out so far. So it was kind of weird at first, but my transition the past two or three years I think has gone smoothly.”
Smith was a do-it-all athlete at Boston College, yet went undrafted last year. The Jets loved his athletic ability and potential at the wide receiver spot, and signed him to a free agent deal.
He flashed early last summer, but then missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury. Smith was cut after camp and signed to New York’s practice squad, where he spent most of the season — until he was promoted to the active roster for the team’s game at Baltimore in Week 15.
Smith had an up-anddown NFL debut, catching a 12-yard pass but also slowed down during a route on a play many thought could have been a score. Then he hurt an ankle and went on season-ending injured reserve a few days later.
“I finally got my shot, I got my first catch and made a few mistakes there, too,” Smith said. “But obviously I sprained my ankle, so that was tough. But it was a learning experience, for sure.”