ASU #9 
D.J. Smith
Linebacker - LB
Height: 6-1 Weight: 235
Senior
Previous Affiliations
Independence
Previous Experience
Charlotte, N.C.
One of three Mountaineers on The Sports Network’s official watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award, which is presented to the nation’s top FCS defensive player ... the latest in a long line of standout linebackers at ASU, which also includes Rico Mack, Dexter Coakley, Justin Seaverns, Pierre Banks and Jacque Roman ... talent and accomplishments have perhaps been overshadowed to this point in his career due to playing alongside veteran stars in Banks and Roman ... is perhaps the most physically gifted of the latest triumvirate of Mountaineer linebacking standouts, boasting terrific speed, power and athleticism to go along with an NFL-ready 6-1, 235-pound frame ... is a sure tackler and with the ability to rush the passer and stuff the run ... has the ability to cover tight ends, running backs and even wide receivers in pass coverage ... is expected to add to his string of 37-consecutive starts at weakside linebacker this season, a starting assignment that he has held since midway through his freshman campaign ... comes into his final season already ranked seventh in school history with 381 career tackles and on pace to become only the second Mountaineer to ever tally 500 stops in a career (Coakley is the only ASU player that has currently reached the 500-tackle plateau) ... his 381 tackles are the second-most among active NCAA Division I FCS players entering the season, behind only 386 by Scott Lewis from St. Francis (Pa.).
2009: Was recognized by many observers as the top defender on a unit that included Buck Buchanan Award finalist Mark LeGree and former Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year Jacque Roman ... collected first-team all-America recognition from The Sports Network and first-team all-conference accolades from the league’s coaches and media ... led squad and tied for first in the SoCon and second nationally with 137 total tackles (60 solo, 77 assists) ... led ASU in tackles seven times, including each of the first four games of the year ... tallied no few than six tackles in each game and recorded double-digit stops six times ... also topped squad and ranked second in conference and tied for 25th nationally with 14.5 total tackles for loss ... two sacks were tied for fourth on squad ... led team with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... eight pass break-ups were second-most on the team ... opened season with 13 tackles at East Carolina ... three weeks later, helped ASU to pivotal win over Samford with a career-high 17 tackles, including one-and-a-half for loss and a sack, two quarterback hurries and two pass break-ups ... earned SoCon and national Defensive Player of the Week recognition for 17-tackle effort versus SU ... 17 stops were the most by a Mountaineer since Roman recorded 20 in win over James Madison in opening round of 2007 NCAA Division I Football Championship ... followed up 17-tackle effort against Samford with 10 stops in overtime victory at The Citadel ... had two tackles for loss in wins North Carolina Central, Georgia Southern and Chattanooga ... wreaked havoc in the takeaway department during a four-game stretch in the middle of the season ... recovered fumbles in wins over Wofford and Georgia Southern ... forced a fumble at Furman ... intercepted a pass on the opening series versus UTC, which he returned 34 yards to the one yard line to set up a one-yard touchdown drive that gave ASU a 7-0 lead ... notched 15 tackles (one behind the line of scrimmage) to help pace 27-10 win at Elon in de facto SoCon championship game ... had double-digit tackles in 2-of-3 NCAA Division I Football Championship tilts ... recorded 10 stops, including a season-best 2.5 for loss, in quarterfinal triumph at Richmond ... led all players with 14 tackles in national semifinals at Montana.
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