[Anhil8tor]

Mike Nolan has selected Utah quarterback Alex Smith with the first overall selection in the NFL Draft.

Following is his bio:

Scholar-athlete who excelled both on and off the football field…Graduated after only two years of school with a bachelor's degree in Economics, attaining a 3.74
grade point average…Currently pursuing his master’s degree…Boasts a 21-1 record as a starter and became the first player in school history to be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy…Named The Sporting News 2004 National Offensive Player of the Year…Had a career touchdown-to-interception ratio of 6.1:1, best among all passers that played college football in 2004.

CAREER: Threw 180 straight passes without an interception...His completion percentage (66.3%) was the best by any Utah passer since Lee Grosscup's 68.6% in 1957...Ranked second in the nation with a 176.52 passing efficiency rating and fifth with an average of 298.6 yards per game in total offense, breaking the old Utah passing efficiency season record of 175.50 by Lee Grosscup in 1957…Only Scott Mitchell (8,836, 1987-89) and Mike McCoy (7559, 1992-94) gained more yards in total offense than Smith’s 6,280 during their Utah careers…Set school career records for completion percentage, passing efficiency (162.7) and yards gained per completion (13.5)...Finished career completing 389 of 587 passes (66.3%) for 5208 yards, 47 touchdowns and only eight interceptions…Totaled 1,072 yards rushing with ten scores on 286 carries (4.7)…Led team to its highest national ranking in 110 years of Utah football.

2004: Became Utah’s first Heisman Trophy finalist…Also named The Sporting News National
Player of the Year…Added CoSIDA Football Academic All-American of the Year accolades...Elected to the Utah Football Leadership Committee…Finalist for the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top passer…Added second-team Walter Camp All-American, Mountain West Conference Offensive Player of the Year and unanimous first-team All-Mountain West Conference accolades…Earned Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honors while guiding the Utes to a 12-0 record…214 completions in 2004 rank sixth and his 28 scoring tosses tied Mike McCoy (1994) for third on the school's season-record list…Gained 3,583 yards in total offense, the third-best season total in Utah annals, topped only by McCoy (3,969 in 1993) and Scott Mitchell (4,299 in1988)…42 total touchdowns broke the old school season record of 33 by Mitchell in 1989…Completed 214 of 317 passes (67.5%) for 2,952 yards, 32 touchdowns and only four interceptions... Ranked third on the team with 631 yards and ten touchdowns on 135 carries (4.7).

2003: Sophomore All-America honorable mention by College Sports Report…Second-team All-Mountain West Conference pick…Earned Mountain West Conference Player of the Week honors three times…Took over the starting quarterback job in the season’s third game vs. California…Went on to complete 173 of 266 passes (65.0%, third-best season total in school history) for 2,247 yards, 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions…His passer efficiency rating of 152.35 ranked second in the conference…Rushed 149 times for 452 yards (3.0) and five scores…Ranked second in the Mountain West Conference with an average of 245.4 yards per game in total offense…Also caught a pass for 17 yards vs. Nevada-Las Vegas…Named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District VIII team during the post-season.

2002: Appeared briefly in two games for Utah…Attempted one pass vs. New Mexico and completed two of four tries for four yards and an interception vs. San Diego State.

HIGH SCHOOL: Attended Helix (CA) High School, earning All-CIF, All-Conference, All-County, team MVP and National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete honors…Twice named the conference’s Offensive Player of the Year and served as team captain as a junior and senior…Completed 66% of his passes for 1,704 yards, 30 touchdowns and only four interceptions
as a senior…Also set a school game record with six touchdown tosses in 2001…His 66% completion rate was the second-best season total in San Diego CIF history…Guided the team to a 25-1 record during his last two seasons…Served as class president and graduated thirteenth in a class of 430.

PERSONAL: Born Alexander D. Smith (5-07-84) in Seattle, WA…Graduated in May, 2003 after only two years at Utah with a bachelor’s degree in Economics…Presently pursuing his master’s in that field…Father, Doug, played football at Weber State, where his mother, Pam, also attended…Sister plays soccer at Cal State Northridge…Uncle, John L. Smith, is the head football coach at Michigan State…Resides in La Mesa, California.

[Michman]

I would have preferred Arron rogers....

[Anhil8tor]

Well,

Smith is the smartest player in the draft without a doubt. He is taller and has a stronger arm than Rogers. I think he will be a good quaterback..... I just hope he can be a great quaterback.

[Michman]

Well,

Smith is the smartest player in the draft without a doubt. He is taller and has a stronger arm than Rogers. I think he will be a good quaterback..... I just hope he can be a great quaterback.

I hear ya....I'm a 9ers fan too (along with the Lions)...but it's going to be a long year for us.