SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Aug. 19, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Alex Smith‘s presence will be forever felt at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Smith, the quarterback who led the University of Utah to an undefeated season in 2004 and became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, was announced Monday as the inaugural inductee into the Utah Football Ring of Honor. He will be honored at halftime of Utah’s season-opener against Southern Utah at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29.
Each season, the new tradition will honor Utah players and coaches who have achieved the highest honors in college football, as professionals and in the community. Following Smith’s induction, the university plans to add two members each season to the Ring of Honor.
“The rich history of Utah football has been written by so many tremendous student-athletes and coaches whose achievements have given our fans memorable moments from generation to generation,” Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan said. “It is fitting that we permanently recognize the all-time greats of Utah football with the establishment of the Ring of Honor at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and we are excited to announce Alex Smith as our first inductee.”
Smith, who is being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this year, was a first-team All-American and a Heisman Trophy finalist in 2004 for the Utes, finishing his collegiate career with 5,203 passing yards and 47 touchdowns, along with 1,072 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs.
He was a two-time All-Mountain West selection and was named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and National Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated in 2004.
“I am incredibly honored and humbled to become the first member of the Utah Football Ring of Honor this fall,” Smith said. “I want to thank Director of Athletics Mark Harlan, President Randall Taylor and head coach Kyle Whittingham for allowing me to be a part of a new tradition within Utah football that will carry a legacy for years to come.
“Utah football has always been and will always be a part of my family and I, and having the honor to be a permanent part of Rice-Eccles Stadium is something I will cherish for the rest of my life. ‘A Utah Man am I’ forever.”
Smith ranks in the top 10 all-time in 16 career statistical categories at Utah and holds school records for career passing efficiency (164.42) and yards per pass completion (13.38), while ranking second in career completion percentage (.663) and fourth in quarterback wins (21).
The La Mesa, California, native also holds Utah records for single-season touchdown passes (32) and total touchdowns (42), as well as TD passes in a bowl game (four vs. Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl in 2004) and the Rice-Eccles Stadium record for yards per play (10.36 vs. Texas A&M in 2004).
Smith’s success at Utah made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He enjoyed a 16-year NFL career that included three trips to the Pro Bowl and recognition as the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year after returning to the field from a devastating and nearly fatal leg injury.
Smith played for San Francisco (2005-12), Kansas City (2013-17) and Washington (2018-20) during his pro career, seeing action in 174 games. He completed 3,250 passes for 35,650 yards and 199 touchdowns, ranking in the top 35 all-time in the NFL in career passing yards.
Smith also made time to give back to the community during his NFL career. In 2018, he established the Alex Smith Foundation, which provides foster teens with tools and resources to help them successfully transition to adulthood by developing and promoting education, advocacy, mentoring, housing, internships and job programs.
He also joined Team OOFOS in the Pan-Mass Challenge in 2023 and 2024, a 200-mile bike ride across Massachusetts to help raise awareness and funds for cancer research.
“[Smith’s] record of achievements both as a Ute and in the NFL, as well as his incomparable impact beyond the field, demonstrate all of the attributes that embody the spirit and identity of Utah football,” Harlan said. “In this year of his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame, we congratulate Alex on being the inaugural member of the Utah Football Ring of Honor. We look forward to adding many more legends of Utah football each year to join Alex in this prestigious group.”
To qualify for the Utah Football Ring of Honor, former Utes must have been inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame, attended Utah for at least three years and graduated from a four-year institution.
Inductees also must have achieved one of the following:
- Set school records
- Earned consensus All-America honors
- Play 10 or more years in the NFL
- Coach a team to at least two conference championships
