Future HOF Harrison Smith returning for another season with Vikings
If I say Future HOF, perhaps it will be so. If he'd played for a bigger market team, this wouldn't be a question.
Link: ESPN article
Replies to: Future HOF Harrison Smith returning for another season with Vikings
36 years old, and aging like fine wine
Even in 2024, he had 10 PBU's and 3 INT's. This was despite teams avoiding throwing his way.
The last time I recall seeing this kind of performance out an "old man" defensive back in the NFL, was when watching Ronnie Lott play for the 49'ers and later, the Raiders. I still remember getting pissed at the 49'ers for putting him on Plan B free agency after that 1990 season, at which point he had one of his finest seasons for the Raiders in 1991, and some pretty good seasons for the Jets later.
Still, Harrison Smith is in much better physical health than Lott was in his last 3 years of playing. I'm sure there were others who had good seasons in their twilight, but I don't recall anyone being nearly as good as Harrison Smith has been.
The only thing missing from his trophy case would be a Super Bowl ring. I'd guess that in that keeping Adrian Peterson might have swung it their way in that 2017 season. They were basically spooked by his 2016 injury, and cut him loose afterwards.
Yet many here criticized him constantly at ND.
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That's because he stunk at ND - I recall the '07 scUM game....
he missed a ton of tackles in the game; in particular, true frosh QB Tate Forcier, scrambling on a go ahead drive, faked Harrison out so bad, he fell on his a$$. But good for him, he obviously got some good coaching in the NFL.
Harrison Smith didn't play in 2007
He redshirted that year.
You're referring to the 2009 Michigan game. It wasn't Harrison Smith who missed the tackle.
It was Brian Smith who missed an easy tackle after Darius Fleming had flushed Forcier out.
If anything, Harrison Smith had a very good game in 2009, with 11 tackles, 1.5 TFL, despite being forced to jailbreak blitz on almost every down.
Link: https://mgoblue.com/sports/football/stats/2009/notre-dame/boxscore/2804
Don't agree. He was moved between LB and S at ND too much. Coaches screwed up his development. Th
at is the criticism I remember. He went from safety, to LB, to LB/S, and back to safety over his years at ND. Coaches couldn't even figure out what he was and that's on them. I thought he'd make it in the NFL but he has far exceeded expectations. Great football player.
I remember the logic used when they tried him at linebacker was the big advantage of speed
that he had. I cannot remember the players around him but our defenses were not good those years.
Tenuta didn't use him properly
Smith actually played decently at strong side LB in 2009, when given a chance to play coverage or read and react. He saved the Washington game for us with that last second jarring hit that stopped the drive cold.
Unfortunately, Jon Tenuta insisted on sending every linebacker on a jailbreak blitz almost every down. It was no surprised that by the 4th quarter, he was usually gassed, since he was playing SLB at 205 lbs.
Tenuta was Charlie Weis' biggest mistake. Had he simply kept Rick Minter or let Corwin Brown be the main DC, that would have easily been a BCS Bowl team.
Ur Right I was one of his critics at first he sucked, but then his play shut me up! Good on him.
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He definitely blossomed in the pros. His measurables were fantastic. I remember he made a dumb
penalty against Pitt after we stopped them that cost us a game, but that happens to everyone.
How old? I don't think Hof will be a q
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It's definitely in question, unfortunately. Not enough All-Pros.
Which is too bad, because he probably deserved more.
Hard to. believe but I got your point
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Amazing player: At his peak, around '17 and '18 seasons, the best safety in league
His PFF rush-defense rating was 99.7, almost perfect. Such stats aren't flawless, but still . . .
ND is now Safety U. And it might get better with the X man.
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Shuler can be that next guy
Adon Shuler was a true sophomore in 2024, and was already playing like a polished veteran.
If anything, his presence turned the Peyton Bowen (5 star former commit) drama into little more than a distant memory.
Several of the freshmen defensive backs got significant playing time last year as well (Moore of course, along with Talich, Urlacher, and Minich). Several of the incoming freshmen will be pushing for playing time as well.
This is as deep and talented of a secondary I've seen at ND since the 1992 team.