Smith, who came close in 2008 when the Arizona Cardinals lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLII, played for four different NFL teams and even in the now-defunct European league for the Hamburg Sea Devils (2005) in his quest for a championship.
After 12 years in the league, Smith was finally done.
“As time went by, you start seeing guys go back to practice, you talk to your friends, you start seeing the games," Smith said. "It’s always still there, but I knew then I wasn’t done. I thought I was but I wasn’t.”
More than seven months later, Smith would get another chance to play.