Georgia Bulldogs – No. 23 | |
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Position | Defensive back |
Class | Senior |
Personal information | |
Born: | [1] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. | February 18, 2001
Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
Career history | |
College |
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Bowl games | |
High school | Imhotep Institute Charter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
Career highlights and awards | |
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Tykee Smith (born February 18, 2001)[1] is an American football defensive back for the Georgia Bulldogs. He previously played for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
High school career
Smith attended Imhotep Institute Charter High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[2] A three-star recruit, Smith committed to play college football at West Virginia University.[3][4]
College career
West Virginia
As a true freshman in 2019, Smith recorded 53 tackles, one sack, and two interceptions.[5] As a result, he was named to the Freshman All-American team.[6] The following year, Smith tallied 61 tackles and two interceptions, while being named an All-American.[7] On March 24, 2021, Smith announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.[8][9][10]
Georgia
On April 4, 2021, Smith announced his decision to transfer to the University of Georgia.[11][12][13] During his first year at Georgia, Smith played sparingly due to a knee injury.[14][15] Against Missouri the following season, he made key plays late in the game to help secure a 26–22 victory.[16] During the game, Smith contributed three tackles and a pass deflection. He finished the season with 29 tackles and two sacks.[17] During the 2023 season opener against UT Martin, Smith tallied six tackles before exiting the game with a knee injury.[18] He returned the following week against Ball State, recording an interception.[19] Smith tallied interceptions in three consecutive games after having interceptions against both South Carolina and UAB the following weeks.[20]
References
- 1 2 "Tykee Smith Safety Georgia". nfldraftbuzz.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ↑ Hunt, Donald (2020-11-18). "Former Imhotep Charter star Tykee Smith named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week". The Philadelphia Tribune. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "Three-star safety Tykee Smith honors late friend, chooses West Virginia". USA TODAY High School Sports. 2018-08-23. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Patriot-News, The (2018-08-23). "Tykee Smith's commitment: Why he picked West Virginia and the friend he's playing for". pennlive. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "West Virginia safety Tykee Smith named freshman All-American". WV MetroNews. 2020-01-13. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Hickey, Alex (2020-02-02). "Tykee Smith's high school teammate McLeod commits to West Virginia". WV MetroNews. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Montgomery, Charles Montgomery (2023-08-30). "Stills and Smith named to AP All-America teams". The Daily Athenaeum - West Virginia University. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "WVU's Tykee Smith To Enter Transfer Portal". theintelligencer.net. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Hertzel, Bob (2021-03-26). "Safety Smith's transfer from WVU the latest case of a flawed system". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "West Virginia safety Tykee Smith entering transfer portal". AP News. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "Georgia adds ex-WVU CB Smith to secondary". ESPN.com. 2021-04-05. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Hubbard, Drew (2021-04-04). "West Virginia defensive back Tykee Smith transfers to Georgia". The Red and Black. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ "Georgia lands All-American transfer defensive back Tykee Smith". 95.5 WSB. 2021-04-05. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Jackson, Devin (2022-12-01). "Defensive back Tykee Smith's long road back for the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ McCurley, Lance. "Tykee Smith gaining ground since his injury last season". www.dawg-watch.com. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Jackson, Devin (2022-10-03). "Former Imhotep star Tykee Smith helps Georgia avert disaster in Missouri". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved 2023-09-03.
- ↑ Towers, Chip. "Georgia Bulldogs believe they have a star in Tykee Smith". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ISSN 1539-7459. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
- ↑ Austin, Brooks (2023-09-02). "JUST IN: Tykee Smith Suffers Injury in Season Opener". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
- ↑ "Tykee Smith's path to Georgia football". The Red and Black. 2023-09-15. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
- ↑ Shelton, J.C. "Georgia football: Tykee Smith gives SC takeaways, describes his journey as a Bulldog".