Nine times out of 10, when a rookie reaches the NFL, he had played and been a standout at the same position for years. Youth leagues, high school, college.
Jeff Smith was that one out of ten.
As a dual-threat quarterback at Clearwater (FL) Catholic High School, Smith passed for 2,194 yards and 34 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,258 yards as a junior. During his senior season, he threw for 2,165 yards and again 34 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,236 yards, earning first-team All-State Class 3A honors.
A backup quarterback at Boston College as a true freshman in 2015, Smith played in nine games, passed for two touchdowns, and rushed for six more scores.
But then…
"In my sophomore year, we had a fifth-year quarterback transfer, Patrick Towles from Kentucky," Smith said. "Me and him were kind of going back and forth in like a QB battle, but he came in as a fifth-year senior, so they planned for him to play pretty much regardless. So instead of sitting on the bench for however long, I decided to switch over to playing receiver.
"And I was putting in a lot of time. I didn't go home for those last few years of school and just stayed there throughout the entire rest of my career and trained. I tried to make that transition as fast as I could."
Playing primarily at receiver during his final three seasons at Boston College, Smith finished with 72 receptions for 1,078 yards and nine touchdowns. But when he wasn't selected during the 2019 NFL draft, he chose to sign as a free agent with the Jets over Minnesota and Jacksonville and was fortunate to have New York's veteran receivers take him under their wings during OTAs and training camp.
"Demarvius Thomas was on the team, and him and Jamison Crowder, who I still talk to now, Robbie Anderson, Josh Bellamy, were all good dudes who I looked up to and kind of showed me what to expect," Smith said.
"Another dude who played a big part, too, was Josh Malone. He was a vet on practice squad, and he was close with me and helped me get comfortable and know what to expect and how to work."
While Smith appreciated and stored the advice, he wasn't initially able to put it to use on the field because he began his rookie season on New York's practice squad. That, however, gave him the opportunity to learn about life in the NFL, and especially as a receiver, with less pressure.
"I would say I'm a pretty mature guy and understood what came with it. My dad was in the league for a couple years when I was a baby, so I grew up around the game," Smith said. "But as far as switching from quarterback, and now I'm in the NFL playing receiver, I still needed that time to catch up to the speed as I was still transitioning from playing quarterback. Especially at a school like Boston College, we didn't throw the ball a ton. So I think that time helped me."
Smith's Christmas came two weeks and two days early that year when he was activated to the Jets' active roster on December 9 and would play in his first game three days later in Baltimore.
"Man, I remember Coach (Adam) Gase calling me and asking me if I was ready. It was pretty much a quick phone call," Smith said. "It's just an example of how fast the league works and how quick things can turn around.
"You've got to be ready at any given time. Because just that quick, you're going to end up traveling to an away game on a train to Baltimore, two hours away.
"And I definitely (took time to soak it all in). I remember being in the back of the end zone with some of the coaches, and Baltimore had the whole light show they do because it was a Thursday night game. They had all the tricks out as far as part of the showmanship of the game.
"So it was amazing to be on an NFL field and just know that all the hard work and almost a full year on the p-squad had transpired into that. But it was never too much. I did my job, went in the game, got a catch. Sam (Darnold) threw me a ball on a third down. So I thought that was fun. That was my first catch and I made some plays on special teams. I had a lot of fun."
After finishing the 2019 season on Injured Reserve because of an ankle injury, Smith began the following season on the list again due to his shoulder. Activated on October 1, he started in what was only his second NFL game later that day when the Jets hosted Denver on Thursday Night Football at MetLife Stadium.
"That was an even crazier moment of how fast the league will turn around, because I had sprained the AC joint in my shoulder during training camp and I don't think I practiced one time until I played that game," Smith said. "So that was just another example of how you just have to be ready at any given moment. Your career's on the line.
"I was able to stay locked in throughout my time of the injury and I just went right into the game, which was crazy, but that's how it works. And I ended up having a great game. I'm not sure how many yards I had [81 yards on seven catches], but that was a fun game to play. And my good buddy, Justin Simmons, that I went to college with, was on the other team. So that was a lot of fun, for sure."
Playing in 35 games over three seasons with seven starts, a knee injury during the 2022 Week 15 game against Detroit landed Smith on I.R. for the third time.
"Definitely frustrating. You know, I'm someone who was one of the first guys in the building every morning, took care of my body and things like that, but sometimes things happen," he said. "Especially in the game of football that you can't control. But I was able to bounce back when I was able to and save my career plenty of times after getting hurt. So I was glad I grew from those things. I have those scars on me, but they weren't for no reason.
"I think (what makes me most proud of my career is) that I was able to switch positions and still make it to the league. I think that speaks a lot to my ability and also just the grit it takes to come with that.
"So just that I was able to make it stretch that long. I hope I can pave the way and let other guys who go to the same school or go through the same situation that I had to grow from, see that it's possible. Just continued to grind and be an example of what that looks like."
Despite injuries, Smith maintained a positive mindset and was with the Jets for four seasons, playing in 36 games and catching 34 passes for 426 yards. Among his fondest memories from those days…
"I think my rookie year, probably most likely when I got called up, honestly," Smith said. "Getting reps with the first team and being on p-squad, and just having that dream of being on the field in front of my parents (for my first game). And my parents actually met in Baltimore, as well. So just the emotions that came along with that.
"And also, my last year in '22, I scored a touchdown (on a 19-yard pass from Mike White) in a preseason game and it was my son's first time coming to see me play. He was a few months old. We were playing the Giants in our last preseason game, like we always do.
"So I think those two moments – my first catch and then my touchdown at my son's first game coming to see me play – are the two most memorable moments for me."
Smith and his wife, Kymberlynn, make their home in the Dallas area with their son and daughter. Involved in residential real estate, they are also planning to create a design renovation company and a content creation business.
"I started to invest in real estate after my first year of making the team," Smith said. "And me and my wife are looking to start a design renovation company here soon. That's something that we'll kind of continue to grow in. We haven't finished dropping it yet, but it's going to be something that is going to be an extension of our real estate endeavors. Just a service we can offer to people as we continue to grow in our real estate plans.
"That and content creation on the side. With social media nowadays, you can make money through things like that. So those are the two main things: real estate as well as content creation."
