NEW YORK – DECEMBER 11: Quarterback Alex Smith of the University of Utah Utes finishes 4th in the 2004 Heisman trophy voting on December 11, 2004 in New York City. USC quarterback Matt Leinart won the 2004 Heisman Trophy. (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
When he was the Utah Utes starting quarterback, Alex Smith did special things. He went 21-1, won two straight conference titles, a BCS bowl game as part of an undefeated season, was a Heisman Trophy finalist, earned both All-American AND Academic All-American honors, and became the number one overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft.
That is a College Football Hall of Fame resume if I've ever seen one.
On Sunday, the Helix High School alum learned he was a member of the Class of 2024. The entire class will be revealed on Monday night but Smith, along with fellow TV analyst Randy Moss, was surprised with a HOF football a day early during a live broadcast and he is extremely deserving on induction.
Smith has always been a winner. As a starter at Helix he went 25-1 and won two San Diego CIF Section championships, earning a pair of offensive player of the year awards while he was at it. In the NFL he went 99-67-1 and earned three trips to the Pro Bowl.
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He might not be the only Ute with San Diego ties to be enshrined in Atlanta. Safety Eric Weddle, who was a teammate of Smith's at Utah, is also a finalist. The full class will be revealed at noon on Monday as part of the buildup to the National Championship game between Michigan and Washington.
