2017 Tenacity Award – Special Teams 2017 Co-Jim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring 2015 SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll 2017: Senior safety who logged 50 tackles in 12 games, all starts… credited with four pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for loss… made seven tackles and three pass breakups in the victory over NC State… came up with the crucial defensive play of the game against the Wolfpack, deflecting a pass in the end zone on NC State’s final play… served as a game captain and chalked up six tackles versus Kentucky… made a season-high eight tackles at Texas A&M… named a game captain for the Tennessee contest… injured early in the Georgia game but returned for the second half and made six tackles… the injury sidelined him for the Florida contest… shared the Tenacity Award for special teams with Javon Charleston… logged 163 career tackles with one interception and a pair of fumble recoveries… appeared in 49 games, making 24 starts. 2016: Played in every game, making 10 starts… led the team with 80 tackles, including 62 solo stops, the third-highest total of solo tackles in the SEC… had 3.0 tackles for loss… set a new career high in tackles in each of the first three games and did it on six separate occasions this season… came up with five tackles including a tackle for loss at Vanderbilt… credited with a then-career-best six tackles, all solo, at Mississippi State… exceeded that mark in the East Carolina win with a then-career-high eight tackles and a fumble recovery… his fumble recovery came at a crucial time, as he scooped up a Pirate fourth-quarter fumble in the end zone… made four tackles, 1.0 tackles for loss and his first career interception at Kentucky… led the Gamecocks and set another career-high with nine tackles, including a TFL, in the Texas A&M game… set a new career high yet again and led Carolina with 12 tackles (10 solo) in the UMass win… picked up three tackles and recovered a fumble in the Western Carolina win… set a career-best and led all players with 13 tackles, including 10 solo efforts, at Clemson… logged seven stops in the Birmingham Bowl vs. USF. 2015: Saw action in all 12 games, primarily on special teams, but began to split more time with Jordan Diggs at strong safety as the season progressed… credited with 22 tackles on the season, including 18 solo stops… had a career-high four tackles at Missouri… matched that with four stops, including a tackle for loss and a pass break up at LSU… had four solo stops at Texas A&M… made his first start of the season at Tennessee and responded with a pair of tackles… named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. 2014: True freshman defensive back… saw action in 12 games, making one start… played both cornerback and safety… credited with 11 tackles and one pass breakup… missed the first couple of weeks of fall camp after having his wisdom teeth removed and did not play in the season opener… saw first action of the season against East Carolina… credited with two tackles at Vanderbilt… made first start of career at free safety at Kentucky, collecting a season-best three tackles along with his first career pass breakup. HIGH SCHOOL: Played safety during his senior season at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., after playing cornerback as a sophomore and a junior… recorded 77 tackles with a pair of interceptions in his final campaign while leading the Raiders to a 6-5 mark… coached by Rocky Hildago… Rivals considered him the 10th-best player in the state and the 26th-best cornerback in the country… Scout ranked him as the 16th-best safety in the country and No. 168 overall… considered the 45th-best player in the state, and the 36th-best cornerback in the nation, according to 247Sports… ESPN considered him the 12th-best cornerback in the nation, No. 108 on the ESPN300 list and the eighth-best player in the state… ranked by PrepStar as No. 95 on the Top 150 Dream Team. PERSONAL: David Jordan Smith was born September 8, 1995… interested in a degree in sport and entertainment management.