Irv Smith Jr.


Irvin Martin Smith Jr. is an American football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He played college football at Alabama.

Early years

Smith Jr. was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 9, 1998. Shortly after being born, he moved to Arizona where he spent the first 14 years of his life. Smith Jr. moved back to New Orleans at age 14 and attended Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he played high school football. As a senior, he had 31 receptions for 558 yards and four touchdowns. He originally committed to Texas A&M University to play college football, but changed to the University of Alabama.

College career

After not recording a reception as a true freshman at Alabama in 2016, Smith Jr, had 14 receptions for 128 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games as a sophomore in 2017. He returned to Alabama as a starter in 2018. On January 11, 2019, Smith announced that he would declare for the 2019 NFL Draft.

College statistics

Professional career

Smith Jr. was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the second round with the 50th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Smith made his NFL debut in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons but did not record any meaningful statistics. He recorded his first reception in the next game against the Green Bay Packers. He recorded a season-high 60 receiving yards on three receptions against the Oakland Raiders in the following game. He scored his first professional touchdown in Week 11 against the Denver Broncos on a 10-yard reception from Kirk Cousins. Overall, as a rookie, he appeared in all 16 games and started six. He recorded 36 receptions for 311 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.

Personal life

His father, Irv Smith, played in the National Football League as a tight end, and college football at the University of Notre Dame.