Tim Smith: Indianapolis Colts Rookie Files

Smith was born on August 9, 2002, in Gifford, FL, to Ethel Smith. Growing up, Smith was bigger than most kids his age. His size would be both a blessing and a curse when it came to athletics.

Throughout his childhood, Smith was interested in multiple sports but had the most success in baseball. Smith was a power hitter for his little league team, playing first base and in the outfield. Whenever Smith came up to bat, everyone knew there was a chance of a home run.

Football would be another sport you would expect Smith to play due to his size. However, due to weight restrictions enforced by the local youth leagues, Smith was not allowed to participate. He was too big to play with kids his age.

Although some kids would have been devastated, Smith took it in stride. Since he had never played football before, Smith did not know what he was missing out on. He didn't see it as a big deal and focused on his other hobbies.

Smith continued to play baseball and began playing basketball throughout his middle school years. He even had an interest in the band, playing the triangle. Football was not even on his mind.

That is until Ron Freeman approached the Smiths about Tim's interest in playing football at Sebastian River High School.

The community was small, and everyone knew about "Timmy" Smith and his size. Freeman was persistent and eventually convinced Ethel to let Tim try out for the team. Sebastian River head coach Tony Perry recalled Freeman's efforts to get Smith to play.

“He was just a big kid that came out to play football,” Perry remembered said. “Coach Freeman got him out. Tim was in the band. When I tell all the (college) coaches that, they’re like ‘What? He was what?’"

"He was in the band and playing baseball and coach Freeman was persistent and kept pestering his mom. Coach Freeman kept showing up at Tim’s Little League games and asking his mom to let him play."

Smith arrived at Sebastian River as a freshman at over 300 pounds, ready to begin his football journey. Despite never playing organized football before, it would not take long for Smith to prove himself as a force on the field.

Nick Saban Comes Calling

The coaching staff had big plans for Smith on the defensive line as he entered his freshman season at Sebastian River. However, there were questions about how quickly he could develop since this was the first time Smith had ever played organized football.

The answer: Pretty darn fast.

Smith spent his freshman season learning the game of football and focusing on the fundamentals. His size and strength were a major plus, allowing him to earn plenty of snaps as a reserve on varsity.

As a sophomore, Smith came alive for the Great White Sharks. He became a starter on varsity and played every position along the defensive line throughout the season. Smith earned honorable mention All-Indian River County honors for his performance.

Smith was no longer a small-town secret, as many of the top Division I schools had hopes of bringing the defensive lineman to their school. Smith received offers from Georgia, Alabama, Florida State, Miami, and Oregon in the months following his sophomore campaign.

Smith was a monster by the time he was a junior, weighing in at 350 pounds. He was almost impossible to stop, racking up 58 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 8.0 sacks, and seven blocked kicks on his way to First-Team All-Area and Third-Team 6A All-State honors. Smith helped lead Sebastian River to a winning record as more schools sent offers his way.

The meteoric rise of Smith on the football field was nothing short of remarkable. To go from a kid who had never played football to one of the top recruits in the country in only three years was unheard of. Perry credits Smith's dedication to his craft and desire to absorb as much knowledge as possible for his success.

“Tim went from a kid who never watched football to being a student of the game," Perry remarked. "He (called) our formations for us up front. Now he’s watching videos of the best to play the game.”

Smith participated in basketball and track while at Sebastian River as well. He became one of the top throwers in the area, placing first in the 2018 district championships with a 51-10 in the shot put and 171 feet 3 inches in the discus.

But by the time his senior season rolled around, Smith was fully focused on football. He dropped some weight before the season began, and it paid off in a big way. Smith finished the year with 98 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, and six forced fumbles as he was named 6A Player of the Year.

As a four-star recruit and the No.8 defensive tackle prospect in the country, Smith narrowed his college choices to Alabama, Clemson, and Florida the summer before his senior year. Wanting to focus on football during the season, Smith committed to head coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in July 2019. While Florida remained persistent in their pursuit of Smith, Alabama was always his first and only choice.

“I like Sal (Sunseri), his energy, Coach (Brian) Baker, Coach (Nick) Saban, I was just feeling the love," Smith admitted. "The school program, the tutors, just everything about Bama sat right with me.”

Playing football turned out to be the best decision of Smith's life. Now, after only four years and becoming a top prospect, the question became how far this game could take him.

A Force for the Crimson Tide

Smith came to Alabama as the fourth-highest recruit in the 2020 class. But being a highly ranked recruit does not guarantee playing time right away, as each Crimson Tide recruiting class is filled with top recruits. Smith would have to prove he was deserving of a role.

Although he did not start any games in his freshman year, Smith continued to work hard in practice and gradually carved out more playing time as the season progressed. He finished with 14 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble as Alabama went on to win the National Championship. That type of production in limited snaps was promising to the Crimson Tide coaching staff.

As a sophomore, Smith began to see more snaps on the defensive line and entered the starting lineup for the first time toward the end of the season. He improved his stat line with 24 tackles, four tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, and a pass deflection as Alabama once again made it to the National Championship game, falling to Georgia.

Entering his junior season, Smith wanted a bigger role on the defensive line. Instead of transferring to another school, he kept his head down and worked harder to prove himself at Alabama. Smith increased his starts from two to seven and racked up 20 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack.

While he started more games, Smith's production remained the same. While many throughout the SEC believed he was one of the best run defenders in the conference, Smith needed the production to back it up.

The Crimson Tide underwent their first coaching change in 17 years, as Saban retired after the 2023 season and was replaced by Kalen DeBoer. While some of his teammates transferred, Smith decided to stay in Tuscaloosa to finish what he started. It turned out to be the right decision.

Smith's production took a big leap forward as a senior, taking over as a full-time starter on the defensive line. He posted career highs in tackles (31) and sacks (2.0) while adding another two tackles for loss. The middle of Alabama's defensive line was hard to run through with Smith eating up double teams.

Smith took advantage of the extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and returned for a fifth season for Bama. The result was another career year, finishing his college career with 35 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, and a pass deflection.

Smith experienced tremendous growth on and off the field during his five years at Alabama. He also graduated with a degree in sports management, which he plans to use when his playing days are over. Smith believes taking his talents to Tuscaloosa has set him up to succeed wherever life takes him.

"Really just prepared me for life, football, anything," Smith stated about Alabama. "Mainly to be disciplined. Be who you are, understand what you have to do. Playing for Alabama kind of prepares you for the NFL properly, whatever aspect you can think of. Whether it's on the field, off the field, how to carry yourself, how to speak to others, how to be on time, how to be a leader, how to be a great man in general."

With college in the rearview mirror, his focus turned toward preparing for the NFL. Smith was seen as a late-Day 3 prospect by most pundits, leaving some doubt on whether he would be drafted. Smith wanted to ensure he was not left without a call on draft weekend.

Smith participated in the Reese's Senior Bowl, showing off his length and ability to get off blocks to stop the run. The Senior Bowl performance gave him momentum heading into the NFL Scouting Combine, where teams were impressed with his football IQ.

The Senior Bowl also allowed him to work with NFL coaches, including some on the Colts' staff. After impressing in Mobile, the Colts brought Smith in for a visit before the draft, where he impressed defensive line coach Charlie Partridge.

The impression was all that was needed, as the Colts made the call and selected Smith with the 190th pick. While Smith is normally a reserved person, he could not hide his excitement. His dream of playing in the NFL had come true.

How Smith Helps the Colts

For the last few seasons, teams have punished the Indianapolis Colts on the ground when Grover Stewart comes off the field. Chris Ballard is attempting to change that with Smith, the first player he has drafted from Alabama in eight years as general manager.

Smith is a solid defensive tackle who knows how to use his length (33-inch arms) to help him get around blocks. He has experience at multiple spots on the defensive line, which has helped him learn how to combat various types of blocks. While Smith does not have the athletic testing numbers (4.44 RAS) that the Colts typically require, his size and strength will allow him to hold up well in the middle.

Smith excels as a run defender, wrapping up ball carriers at the point of attack. He puts his opponents in a bear hug to bring them down, which hardly leads to missed tackles. Smith may never offer much as a pass rusher but can eat up double teams that will allow his teammates to run free and make plays on the ball.

The Colts signed Raekwon Davis as a free agent during the 2024 offseason, hoping Davis would provide stability behind Stewart against the run. The signing was a massive failure, as Davis experienced blood pressure issues during training camp and struggled to find his footing in the regular season. The Colts cut Davis this spring, one year into a two-year contract.

Smith is the type of player the Colts need behind Stewart at the nose tackle position. Smith proved throughout his five seasons at Alabama that he can have a significant impact as a run defender and be someone the rest of the defensive line can rely upon. Smith also improved his production every season with the Crimson Tide, showing there is more upside with him than many may realize.

The selection of Smith also allows free-agent addition Neville Gallimore to stay at the three-technique, the position that better suits his strengths. Gallimore can serve as the backup to DeForest Buckner and use his attacking style of play to help collapse the pocket and be a disruptor in the backfield.

If Smith can finally provide an answer for the Colts behind Stewart and bolster the team's run defense, grabbing him in the sixth round will be seen as tremendous value and one of the steals of the draft.

Smith's football journey proves it does not matter when you start in the game of football. What matters is how you perform and grow your game when given the opportunity.

With only nine years of experience in the game of football, Smith may still be scratching the surface of his potential. The Colts are betting on that to be the case.

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