Roquan Smith
BALTIMORE RAVENS
| Position | College | Years in the NFL |
|---|---|---|
| Linebacker | University of Georgia | 7 |
EXCELLENCE ON THE FIELD
Roquan Smith was originally selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Georgia. Smith played his first four full seasons (2018-21) and the first eight games of 2022 with the Bears prior to a mid-season trade to Baltimore. He then started the final nine games for the Ravens, registering 86 tackles (51 solo), 7 TFL (tackles for loss), 2 sacks and 1 INT (interception), en route to his first-career Pro Bowl nod and a first-team All-Pro selection. In 2023, Smith started all 16 games in which he appeared for Baltimore, recording a team-high 158 tackles, 5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 5 QBHs, 1 INT, 1 FF, and a career-best 8 PD, earning him his second-career Pro Bowl nod and first-team All-Pro honors. Now in his second full season with the Ravens, Smith became the first player since Hall of Famer Ray Lewis (1996-2000) with at least 100 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 INT in each of the first five years of a career (2018-22). He is also the first player since Lewis (2000-01) with at least 300 tackles and 30 TFL in a two-year span (2020-21). Currently, Smith has played in all 10 games for the Ravens and leads the defense with 53 tackles. Additionally, Smith won the Butkus Award as the NFL's top linebacker, earned AFC Defensive Player of the Month honors in December, and in January and was voted by Baltimore's local media as the Ravens MVP in 2022.
POSITIVE CHARACTER & A LIFESTYLE OF GIVING BACK
Immediately upon arriving in Baltimore, Roquan Smith became a profound leader on and off the field. He is always looking for ways to use his platform as an NFL player to help others and create better opportunities for less fortunate individuals, families, and communities. There are few people throughout the entire Ravens organization that Smith is not on a first name basis with. When Smith changed his jersey number from 18 to 0, he hosted a free jersey exchange at a small business for the first 200 fans that brought in his old jersey. He then donated all of the returned jerseys to children in foster\ care. Smith was a nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award and winner of the Ed Block Courage Award in 2020. Smith has a heart for giving back and showcases that generosity every day when interacting with others. Philanthropy is at the core of who he is. The Baltimore Ravens are proud to select Roquan Smith as their Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year
DEDICATION & COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY EFFORTS
THIS YEAR
The Roquan Smith Foundation, launched in 2023, was established with the mission to strengthen families by providing programs and services focused on parenting, vocational training, behavioral health, and financial literacy. The Roquan Smith Foundation Scholarship Fund was recently established to provide additional financial support to students graduating from Macon County High School in Montezuma, Georgia. The goal of the scholarship fund is to assist its recipients through the initial financial adjustment of post-secondary educational expenses such as tuition, books, and necessary supplies required to establish a successful foundational year. Scholarships to five recipients are funded annually by The Roquan Smith Foundation and each of the 2024 recipients received $5,000. An advocate for youth sports, Smith annually hosts youth football camps in his Georgia hometown and across Maryland. To kick off the 2024-25 school year, Smith hosted his second annual back-to-school event at Hamilton Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore City, offering the students free haircuts, school supplies, food, books, and more. In September, Smith visited Arlington Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore to unveil a new vehicle donated by the Ravens to their charitable nonprofit partner, Weekend Backpacks. Weekend Backpacks' new vehicle will help provide bags full of food for students to take home each weekend when they generally rely on their schools to supply their meals. Additionally in September, Smith visited with participants of Roca Baltimore's program to discuss the city's struggles with gun violence and announce a multi-year grant from the Ravens to support Roca's efforts to address trauma, find hope, and drive change. In 2024, Smith also increased his support of the House of Ruth Maryland and the families staying there who have been affected by domestic violence. Smith provided families currently staying in the women's shelter with brand-new mattresses, supplies, tickets, and more, and he's currently planning a self care spa day for all the mothers towards the end of the year. Smith is also highly active during the holiday season, always serving others. For the second consecutive year, Smith will host the Ravens' 19th Annual Holiday Helpers event in December, where he'll take 60 underserved students on a shopping spree around Target. Additionally, Smith plans to donate 700 turkeys and sides to families in-need throughout Baltimore and Georgia.
IN YEARS PAST
From the day he was traded to the Ravens in October 2022, Roquan Smith embraced the Baltimore community, becoming a consistent figure at numerous Ravens' community events and even organizing several of his own initiatives. Smith is a constant participant in the Ravens' annual Caw to Action initiative that focuses on volunteering around the state of Maryland. He is also always willing to lend a hand at the Ravens' annual signature project each summer. For the project this past June, Smith joined teammates and Ravens staff in renovating the Historic Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary #122 in Baltimore City. While onsite at the school, Smith assembled new bikes for the kids, renovated classrooms, and upgraded the schools' community center that distributes food, clothing, and school supplies to members of the community. Smith also prioritizes honoring our military and first responders. In May 2023, Smith joined the Ravens in recognizing TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) families by decorating one-of-a-kind wooden flags with them in honor of Memorial Day. The following month, he joined the NFL-USO tour and visited with U.S. service members and their families at military bases in Okinawa, Japan. Smith also visited with police and fire stations on 9/11/23 to thank them for their service and honor the first responders that we lost that fateful day. Smith continues to give back in Macon County, Georgia, where he is from. He annually hosts free football camps for kids in the area and Thanksgiving meals to families during the holidays. During COVID, Smith helped launch a Mask Up Macon County campaign and donated hundreds of masks and face coverings. He also sponsors gift giveaways in his hometown each year. Now that he's settled into Baltimore, not only is Smith a constant participant at Ravens events, but he's also orchestrated his own activities to serve community members all across Maryland. Additionally, Smith is also a constant supporter of his teammates' charitable programs, such as coat distributions to the homeless, meal services during the holidays, football camps, PLAY 60 activations, and more.
