A seventh-round pick out of USC in 2011, Smith spent most of his first two seasons as a special teams player, but saw his playing time increase in 2013, starting eight games for a team that went 13-3 while fielding one of the best defenses in NFL history. Smith finished the regular season returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, giving a preview of what was to come in the postseason. Smith began the 2013 postseason with nine tackles, one for a loss, in a win over Washington, then in the NFC championship game he had four tackles and the game-clinching interception on Richard Sherman’s famous tipped pass. Smith then capped his memorable postseason run by earning Super Bowl XLVIII MVP honors in Seattle’s 43-8 win over the Broncos. In that game, Smith had 10 tackles, a fumble recovery, and most notably, he made a play that will go down as one of the most important in franchise history, intercepting Peyton Manning and returning it 69 yards for a touchdown, giving the Seahawks a 22-0 lead on their way to a blowout win. Smith returned to the Super Bowl with the Seahawks the next year, and finished his Seattle career appearing in 57 games with 16 starts. He then signed with the Raiders where he became a starter for two seasons, then later played in San Francisco, Jacksonville, Dallas and Cleveland in what ended up being an 11-year career.