Tag: Jaylon Smith

NCAA Football Video Game Returns: Notre Dame Players We Missed Out On

Which Notre Dame player would have been the best to play with?

College football has its own cult-like following that makes it truly unique compared to any other American sport.  Even in that group there are sub-groups that are even that much more passionate.

One of those groups includes anyone who was ever a fan of the NCAA Football video game by EA Sports.

Personally, I can’t begin to estimate the total hours spent as a high school student in my parents house playing that game, the amount of hours I invested in it during college, or the hours I spent in my early-20’s with it.

However, it went away after the NCAA Football ’13 edition, meaning we’ve gone a full decade (2014-2023 seasons) now without the game.

So which players in that time did we especially miss playing with if we would have been playing as Notre Dame?

Here are the 11 we missed out in video game form the most.

Steelers newly-signed LB Jaylon Smith is ‘ready to go’

Jaylon Smith, signed by the Steelers late on Tuesday, was all smiles at the team’s South Side facility on Wednesday.

Jaylon Smith, signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers late on Tuesday, was all smiles at the team’s South Side facility on Wednesday.

After all, he’s now donning the Black & Gold on a Mike Tomlin-coached squad, sought-after by many players in the NFL.

“[Mike] Tomlin’s a guy that any player wants to play for. It’s just a matter of grace and opportunity,” Smith told Steelers reporters.

Many thought he’d never play again. Period.

During his final game at Notre Dame, Smith suffered a horrific knee injury — landing awkwardly after being shoved — tearing his MCL and damaging his PCL, plummeting his first-round draft stock.

Smith was viewed as one of the best players in the draft and, while expected to fall much further, went to the Dallas Cowboys in the second round (No. 34).

The surgery was a success, but the damage to his nerve was a problem and has hindered him since.

“Me, coming out of college, was gonna be a top-three pick. I got hurt in the last game, so a lot of guys never thought I’d play again.”

Yet, here he is, eight years removed and still playing — not at an elite level expected from a high-round pick, but playing nonetheless. And his goal remains the same: Be great.

“I’m happy to be in year eight and still striving for greatness. I’m just thankful for this opportunity, whatever the role.

Smith said he feels up to speed if his name were to be called this weekend. “Absolutely. I’m ready to go.”

“Just gotta put the time in. There’s no way around it. I’m a guy who’s got experience. I understand a lot of schemes. You’ve just gotta understand the terminology and get out there and be great.”

What he also understands is the nature in which Pittsburgh’s defense plays.

“I love the edge, the physicality we play with here in Pittsburgh,” Smith said via 93.7 The Fan. “Everyone is flying around trying to make a play but doing it together. I understand the Steel Curtain tradition.”

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Former Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith gets another shot in NFL

Smith is off to the Steel City

The NFL career of former Notre Dame star linebacker [autotag]Jaylon Smith[/autotag] has not gone to plan at all.

It started with him suffering a severe knee injury ahead of being drafted, which saw his stock drop him into the second round where the Dallas Cowboys selected him with the No. 34 overall pick.

Smith would eventually earn a huge extension, but the Cowboys would release him just two years later. He would then bounce around different teams, from the New York Giants, to the New Orleans Saints, eventually landing with the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this year.

He was released again, but stuck on the practice squad, and on Tuesday night signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers also to their practice squad.

It’s another opportunity for Smith to show that he can still help an NFL team, and we wish Jaylon the best at trying to revive his career.

Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on X (Formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Mike on X: @MikeFChen

Pittsburgh Steelers sign ex-Cowboys 2nd-round LB Jaylon Smith

Journeyman linebacker Jaylon Smith has found himself another home — his fourth in three seasons — with the Steelers.

Journeyman linebacker Jaylon Smith has found himself another home — his fourth in three seasons — with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His agent, Doug Hendrickson, was the first to announce the news.

The former second-round pick, drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2016, most recently appeared in a single Week 9 game for the Las Vegas Raiders. Prior to the Raiders, he spent time with the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints and New York Giants.

Smith signs at a time when Pittsburgh is terribly thin at linebacker. They’ve had to rebuild completely after what was once a solid unit first came crashing down with a knee injury to Cole Holcomb, quickly followed by Kwon Alexander and, most recently, Elandon Roberts.

CBS Sports’ Josina Anderson reports that Smith, 28, will start on the practice squad. He joins rostered linebackers Myles Jack, Mykal Walker and Blake Martinez.

In nine seasons, the Pro Bowler recorded 626 tackles (24 for loss), 11 sacks, six fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

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Raiders waive former Saints linebacker Jaylon Smith

The L:as Vegas Raiders waived former New Orleans Saints linebacker Jaylon Smith, who logged just 25 snaps with them in one game:

Jaylon Smith’s time with the Las Vegas Raiders may have been short-lived. The former New Orleans Saints linebacker left the practice squad for a better opportunity with the Raiders, but he was let go after playing just 25 snaps in one game. The Raiders announced Wednesday that they had released the former Pro Bowler.

Smith will hit the waiver wire, as all veterans released by their teams this time of the year, and he’ll become a free agent should he not be claimed by anyone. Could he return to the Saints’ practice squad? Are the Raiders hoping to sign him to their own practice squad after clearing waivers? He could still play for them in three games as a regular elevation, and the Saints don’t appear to have room for him in their lineup. It’s something to monitor, but a reunion with New Orleans feels unlikely.

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Notre Dame football: All-time Irish linebacker signing with Saints

Former Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith has a new home in the NFC South.

One of the best to ever play linebacker at Notre Dame is headed to the Bayou. No, Brian Kelly didn’t get a player in the transfer portal. Former Irish star Jaylon Smith is signing with the New Orleans Saints.

TheScore’s Jordan Schultz reported the Saints signed Smith after a successful tryout on Wednesday.

Smith is 28 and has played in the NFL since being drafted by the Cowboys in the second round in 2016. Had it not been for a horrific knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl, he very likely would have been a top-10 pick.

Smith has played 87 games since returning from that knee injury in 2017.  He has recorded 624 tackles in that time, including 88 last year as a member of the New York Giants.

For more on Smith and the Saints be sure to check out Saints Wire!

Also, see who joins Smith as Notre Dame’s top recruit from each state since 2000!

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Raiders release CB David Long Jr

Raiders release CB David Long Jr

The first big move of the Antonio Pierce era as interim head coach, not surprisingly, was to sign a linebacker. That linebacker is Jaylon Smith who last played for the Giants under currently Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.

With that addition, the team needed to clear a roster spot. The man who got the boot was David Long Jr.

The veteran cornerback was signed this offseason after four seasons with the LA Rams. He appeared in every game this season, starting one game and recording one pass breakup and 12 combined tackles.

Long was given the nod at cornerback over Tyler Hall the past two games. But in the end it was Hall who was retained while Long was cut.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Long was invited back to the practice squad should he not be picked up by another team.

His release puts the Raiders cornerbacks as Marcus Peters, Nate Hobbs, Amik Robertson, Jakorian Bennett, and Tyler Hall.

Brandon Facyson has been on injured reserve since the start of the season and is eligible to return when he is ready.

Saints replace Jaylon Smith with former Texans LB Cory Littleton

The Saints replaced Jaylon Smith with former Rams and Raiders linebacker Cory Littleton, who most recently played for the Texans:

That didn’t take long. The New Orleans Saints filled the vacancy on their practice squad left in Jaylon Smith’s departure by signing former Pro Bowl linebacker Cory Littleton, maintaining depth in the linebackers corps. Littleton’s arrival was first reported by KPRC2 Houston’s Aaron Wilson.

Littleton rose to prominence with the Los Angeles Rams from 2016 to 2019 (earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro recognition in 2018) before signing a lucrative free agent contract with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020; but he didn’t meet his previous heights and was released in 2022, where he landed with the Carolina Panthers. Littleton was most recently playing for the Houston Texans.

Dennis Allen likes to keep a lot of linebackers. In addition to Littleton, the practice squad also carries Ryan Connelly and Anfernee Orji, who are backing up the six-man group on the active roster: starters Demario Davis and Pete Werner plus strong side linebacker Zack Baun and reserves Nephi Sewell, D’Marco Jackson, and Ty Summers, each of whom play a lot of snaps on special teams.

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Jaylon Smith leaves the Saints practice squad for an opportunity with the Raiders

Jaylon Smith left the Saints practice squad for an opportunity with the Raiders, where he’ll get to play instead of watch from the sidelines:

This is a bummer, but it’s to be expected. Jaylon Smith’s agent Doug Hendrickson announced Thursday that the linebacker was leaving the New Orleans Saints practice squad for an opportunity with the Las Vegas Raiders — who are signing him to their 53-man roster and giving him a chance to play on Sundays.

That has to be appealing for Smith after he spent the first eight weeks of the 2023 season watching his Saints teammates compete from the sidelines. With Demario Davis and Pete Werner locked into the starting lineup and few snaps to go around on special teams (a phase Smith has never played in the NFL), the veteran linebacker was stuck on New Orleans’ practice squad.

Good luck to him with this new opportunity. The Raiders’ arrow may not be trending in the same direction as the Saints’ appears to be, but players want to play, and it’s understandable for Smith to take this offer when it was presented to him. Here are the players remaining in the New Orleans linebackers corps with his departure:

  • Demario Davis
  • Pete Werner
  • Zack Baun
  • Nephi Sewell
  • D’Marco Jackson
  • Ty Summers
  • Ryan Connelly (practice squad)
  • Anfernee Orji (practice squad)

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Raiders add veteran LB Jaylon Smith ahead of Week 9

#Raiders sign former Giants LB Jaylon Smith ahead of Week 9 matchup

The Raiders are incredibly thin at the linebacker position heading into Week 9 with Divine Deablo and Luke Masterson dealing with injuries. So, the Raiders headed to free agency to add some veteran help.

According to his agent Doug Hendrickson, the Raiders have signed former second-round pick Jaylon Smith to the roster. Smith last played for the Saints but spent the 2022 season with the Giants. He started 13 games with the Giants, totaling 88 tackles and three tackles for a loss.

The Raiders hosted Smith on a visit this offseason but decided not to sign him. Now, they will add him to the practice squad with the hopes that he will join the active roster in a few days.

Smith was a former second-round pick for the Dallas Cowboys, making the Pro Bowl during the 2019 season. He turned 28 in June and has appeared in 87 games during his NFL career.

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