The son of Baltimore Ravens pass-rush coach Chuck Smith is hoping to hear his name called at the NFL Draft.
Chuck Smith IV spent his final season of college eligibility at Villanova in 2024 after graduating from Wofford. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound defensive lineman played in 14 games and recorded 35 tackles a year ago.
The elder Smith played in the NFL for the Atlanta Falcons (1992-1999) and Carolina Panthers (2000). He recorded 323 tackles and 58.5 sacks during his NFL career.
“Football was my main thing growing up,” the younger Smith said on Glenn Clark Radio April 10. “… Football was one of those things that I loved even outside of my family. It was something that I enjoyed watching the great ones like Aaron Donald do their thing. It’s one of those things where you watch and then you find a love for yourself more than anything else. I feel like some people maybe struggle with their family or friends putting pressure on them, but it was never like that for me.”
The Ravens added the elder Smith to the coaching staff in 2023. That year, the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to lead the league in points allowed (16.5 PPG), sacks (60, tying the franchise record in 2006) and takeaways (31).
Prior to joining the Ravens, Smith had been a private pass-rush coach for years. He also had brief stints as a pass-rush specialist with the New York Jets in 2009 and as a defensive line coach at his alma mater Tennessee in 2010.
“I think I have videos of me slapping bags since I was like 7 years old,” the younger Smith said. “… There were a lot of football players who I got to pick bits and pieces of knowledge from. I would really say the biggest instrument besides my dad is this guy named Dez Walker. … He knows how to break everything down and helps me understand it in a way that I can process it and stuff like that.”
Smith would love to be reunited with his father in Baltimore, but he’s also open to playing for other teams, too — even the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“I feel like it isn’t anything taboo between me and my dad to talk about any of those kinds of things, and of course [playing for the Ravens] is on the table,” Smith said. “Being serious, he would be happy for me going anywhere. If I was away from him, I’d want to compete super hard against him. He doesn’t say it, but he’s super competitive, too. We compete at everything, whether it be ping pong, video games or anything, really.”
Smith wasn’t invited to the Senior Bowl or the NFL Scouting Combine, but he is determined to stand out regardless.
“I really relate that question to the phrase, ‘You don’t count days, you make the days count,'” Smith said. “… For me, I was in the Tropical Bowl. It’s not the Senior Bowl, but I’m going to make it count anyway. I’m going to do my thing. I’m going to go show out. I’m going to show everyone what I can do. By putting my effort out there and doing all that, something will spark, someone’s going to see what I can do.”
Smith believes that he’s being overlooked as a player and hopes NFL scouts can see what he can add to their team.
“I think football is bigger than numbers,” Smith said. “I think if you watch my tape I feel like you see a guy who competes every play. No plays are taken off. I feel like you see someone hustle at a speed they shouldn’t really be hustling at. I feel like the things you don’t see behind the scenes — I’m a big leader, I’m a big competitor, I’m working hard, I’m always trying to get the edge on people. Same with my dad, we were never the biggest, we were never the fastest. But through sheer willpower and working hard, you can make it up that edge.”
For more from Smith, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Chuck Smith