2001 Football Roster
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Roster
Clifton Smith
- Position:
- Linebacker
- Height:
- 6-3
- Weight:
- 263
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Freeport, NY
- High School:
- Freeport
Career Biography (PDF Format)
At SU: Four letters ... Ranks fifth in career tackles (405), third in tackles for a loss (36) and sixth in solo tackles (244) on the SU all-time lists ... Ranks third on the SU all-time list, and is first among linebackers, with 36 tackles for a loss of 87 yards ... Played in 47 games at SU, starting 44 of them ... One of two true freshmen to play in 1999 ... Senior Year: One of eight players to start every game and one of 23 to play in every game ... Participated in 2003 Senior Bowl ... His 15 tackles for a loss ranked fourth on the SU single season record list and were second on the team and tied for fifth in the BIG EAST ... His 89 solo tackles tied for the ninth-highest single-season total with Antwaune Ponds (1997) ... His 137 tackles ranked 20th nationally and led the BIG EAST ... His 11.4 tackles per game also led the BIG EAST and his 7.4 solo stops ranked 12th nationally ... His 137 tackles is the highest single-season total by an Orangemen since Keith Bulluck had 138 in 1999, and the second-highest single-season total since Glen Young had 140 tackles in 1991 ... He recorded double digits in tackles in 8-of-12 games ... Recorded a team-leading 13 tackles, including two for a loss of seven yards at BYU ... Posted a team-high 16 tackles, including two for a loss and nine solo, one sack and one quarterback hurry against North Carolina ... Had eight tackles, including six solo stops against Rhode Island ... Posted a game-high 17 tackles, including 12 solo stops, and one fumble return (48 yds) at Auburn ... Had 12 tackles, including two for a loss, and had one pass breakup that led to an interception against Pittsburgh ... Led SU with 13 tackles at Temple ... Recorded 11 tackles, including one for a loss at West Virginia ... Had one sack and registered seven tackles, including three solo stops, against Rutgers ... Recorded nine tackles, including two for a loss, at Central Florida ... Led all players with 12 tackles, including three for a loss of five yards, and had two quarterback hurries against Virginia Tech ... Posted nine tackles, one interception and two pass breakups at Boston College ... Had 10 tackles, including one for a loss, against Miami ... Did not participate in 2002 spring practicue due to surgery on his shoulder ... Junior Year: Started all 13 games ... One of 17 players to start every game and one of 35 to participate in every contest ... Earned first-team All-BIG EAST and first-team All-ECAC ... honors Collected 94 tackles, which ranked second on the team ... Played on SU’s field goal and PAT defense units ... Named Insight.com Bowl Defensive Most Valuable Player after posting a team-high 12 tackles, including six solo, recording a career-high two sacks and forcing one fumble ... Named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for his team-leading 11-tackle, one-sack performance at Virginia Tech ... Posted seven tackles against Georgia Tech in the Kickoff Classic ... Recorded six tackles, including one for a loss at Tennessee ... Had eight tackles, six solo against Central Florida ... Registered four tackles against Auburn ... Led the team with 10 tackles, had two tackles for a loss, one sack and a pass breakup against East Carolina ... Led the team with 13 tackles and also had a sack at Rutgers ... Had eight tackles, blocked a field goal and had one pass breakup at Pittsburgh ... Posted five solo tackles against Temple ... Posted nine tackles, including two for a loss against West Virginia ... Had 10 tackles, including two for a loss at Miami ... Registered four tackles against Boston College ... Sophomore Year: Started all 11 games ... One of 26 players to participate in every game ... Earned first-team All-BIG EAST and first-team All-ECAC honors ... Led the team with 108 tackles ... Recorded a career-high 18 tackles against Miami, 10 of which were solo stops ... Blocked an extra point against Miami ... Had 14 tackles against Virginia Tech ... Forced a fumble in the win against Pittsburgh ... Recorded his first career fumble recovery at Cincinnati ... Had 10 or more tackles in six games ... Had eight tackles, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble at Temple ... Led the Orange with 10 stops in the win at West Virginia ... Eclipsed his freshman year total of 66 tackles after eight games ... Ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in tackles ... Freshman Year: Played in 11 games, starting eight ... Named first-team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News ... Tallied four tackles against Central Michigan ... Had four tackles, including one for a loss of four yards, against Michigan ... Had five tackles and one forced fumble against West Virginia in his first career start ... Tallied 13 tackles, including one for a loss of 11 yards, and a quarterback sack against Virginia Tech ... Had nine tackles, including one for a loss, at Rutgers ... Recorded 11 tackles and one forced fumble at Miami ... Had four tackles against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl ... High School: Prep Star’s No. 11-rated linebacker in the nation’s Top 100 Dream Team and member of Super 30 Eastern Region ... Super Prep’s No. 11-rated linebacker in the nation and top-rated player in New York State ... The Sporting News Top 100 recruits ... Gridiron Greats top nine linebacker prospects in the country ... 80th-rated prospect and 10th-rated linebacker by ESPN.com ... CBS Sportsline Top 40 defensive prospects and 80th-rated prospect by Fox Sports ... Tom Lemming All-American selection ... Reebok All-American ... USA Today New York State Player of the Year, Gatorade New York State Player of the Year and New York State Sportswriters Player of the Year ... Winner of Thorpe Award as Outstanding Player in Nassau County ... Two-time All-Nassau County ... New York Governors Bowl Team member ... National Honor Society ... Also played basketball and ran track ... Attended same high school as former SU teammate and current Miami Dolphin Morlon Greenwood ... Recruited by former SU assistant coach Jeff Stoutland ... Personal: Clifton Smith II ... Born July 21, 1980 ... Son of Clifton Smith I and Nancy Porter ... Two brothers, four sisters ... Majoring in marketing.
Smith's Career Statistics
Solo Ast. Tot. Int. Sacks FF Fum. Rec. TFL
1999 37 29 66 0 1.0 0 0- 0 yds 3-17 yds
2000 61 47 108 0 0.0 3 1- 3 yds 7-14 yds
2001 57 37 94 0 3.0 0 0- 0 yds 11-27 yds
2002 89 48 137 1 2.0 0 1-48 yds 15-29 yds
Totals 244 161 405 1 6.0 3 2-51 yds 36-87 yds
Smith's Career Bests
Tackles Solo 12 vs. Auburn, 2002
Assist 8 vs. Miami, 2000
Total 18 vs. Miami, 2000
Sacks 1 .Five times, most recent vs. Rutgers, 2002
Forced Fumble 1 .Six times, most recent vs. Rutgers, 2000
Fumble Recovery 1 vs. Cincinnati, 2000; Auburn, 2002
Yards 48 vs. Auburn, 2002
Blocks 1 vs. Miami (PAT), 2000; Pittsburgh, 2001
Pass Breakups 2 vs. Rutgers, 2000
