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Player Profile- 3.28.09

Pros: Smith is a great run blocker and the big fella moves very well for a person of his size, showing quick feet and the ability to cut well. He creates a lot of running room for backs both on inside and outside runs. He does a good job of clearing the man in front of him, then getting to the second level to block the path of linebackers and safeties. He didn’t run a good forty, but he is quick and shows good agility. He plays faster than he times. Smith allowed just one sack in 2008. He does well when his man tries to bull rush or overpower him. The left tackle often absorbs the rush, keeps his leverage well, and plays much stronger than his 19 reps on the bench press showed. Talent and potential are not a question with the Birmingham native—if properly motivated, the ability is there for Smith to develop into a perennial Pro Bowler.

Cons: Smith didn’t end his college career on a good note as it was reported he received gifts from an agent. Smith was suspended for the Sugar Bowl, which cost his team greatly as Alabama lost to a less talented Utah team. After the Sugar Bowl, Smith again hurt his Draft stock when he showed up at the NFL Scouting Combine and said he wasn’t going to work out because he wasn’t in shape. Smith then left Indianapolis without telling anyone. In March, Smith finally worked out for teams at Alabama’s Pro Day. He had his weight down to 325, but looked very flabby and did not have much muscle tone on his huge frame. As for his on the field weaknesses: At 6-4, he is a little short for the ideal left tackle. There has been and will always be questions about his conditioning and mental toughness—he often looks tired and lazy late in games. He doesn’t play with a consistent motor throughout the game and looks to take breaks when the play is away from him. The Alabama product may not be best suited to play on the left side, which is where the team that drafts him would like him to play since he will sign a big contract.

Scouts Take: There is no question that if Smith hits the weights and film room he will succeed as an NFL player. He is the only the seventh player in Alabama history to start as a true freshman from day one. He was considered by some as the number one prospect in the entire Draft until his incidents before the Sugar Bowl and in Indy. Smith desperately needs to land on a team that is going to push him and make him work hard each and every practice. His team will have concerns that he will not eat well and won't stay mentally focused. If Smith does not succeed on the left side he could move to the right. And if that doesn’t work, the former Crimson Tide could be an immediate star at the guard position. However, if a team is going to take him in the top ten, they will want him to succeed at left tackle. He's a boom or bust prospect with a high upside, but he comes with a clearly labeled “buyer beware” tag.

School Bio

Decision Time: Andre Smith - 1.7.09

2.23.09 - How do you follow up getting suspended for your last college game? By mysteriously leaving the combine without telling anybody before you work out. Smith probably lost millions of dollars (even though he did measure LT length arms at 35 3/8” while he was in Indy). Even if he keeps weight down, even if he works out well at his pro day, even if he interviews well with prospective teams, the way his combine went (or didn’t go) will make it very hard for a team with a top 10 pick to feel comfortable committing big guaranteed money to Smith. He might end up being a steal outside of the top 10 if the reaction to his surreptitious disappearance snaps Smith into reality. Draft Guys

1.5.09 - Alabama LT Andre Smith will forgo his senior season and enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

12.31.08 - The Alabama attorney general's office is reviewing reports of alleged contact between Crimson Tide offensive tackle Andre Smith and a sports agent after the All-American was suspended from the Sugar Bowl. The attorney general's office began reviewing the situation on Tuesday to see if a full investigation is warranted, spokesman Chris Bence said. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban suspended the Outland Trophy winner on Monday for violation of unspecified team rules, but several media outlets reported that the punishment stemmed from improper dealings with an agent.

12.30.08 - According to several sources, the NFL Draft Bible has learned that Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith accepted gifts from an agent. The actual agent and gifts are unspecified but this is believed to be part of his decision made earlier this year to enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

12.26.08 - There isn't much one can say about Andre Smith that already hasn't been said. Smith is one of the best, if not the best offensive linemen in the nation. He has started every game since stepping foot on campus at Alabama and has surrendered only seven sacks over the past three seasons. While he is a huge man at 6-4, 340, Smith has athletic ability to get downfield and lock up a defender. That being said, the Outland Trophy winner has little left to prove or gain by returning for his senior year and should be a first round selection, if not the first offensive lineman taken in the upcoming draft. He has submitted his paperwork to the NFL Advisory Board for evaluation.

12.5.07 - Andre Smith has started all 25 games in his UA career and had one rushing touchdown (2-yard lateral) against Oklahoma State in the 2006 PetroSun Independence Bowl. Smith is on the 2007 Outland Trophy Watch List.

12.5.07 - Andre Smith is the only UA offensive lineman to start all 12 games at the same position this season was named the co-recipient of the 2007 Southeastern Conference Jacobs Trophy, presented annually to the league's most outstanding blocker. Smith has started at left tackle in all 25 games in his UA career and scored on a two-yard lateral in last year’s Independence Bowl game against Oklahoma State.

Bloodlines: His younger brother Christian Smith currently plays wide receiver and cornerback at Hampton University. He is also a cousin of Dominic Lee, a defensive lineman for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Photo Credit: SEC Sports Media