Player Profile: Fish Smithson
#9 Fish Smithson
Rivals.com: Profile as recruit
Position: Safety
Height: 5-11
Weight: 201
Class: Senior
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
High School: Highland HS (Utah)
Previous School: Hartnell College
Career Honors: 2015: Second Team All-Big 12 (coaches, Phil Steele Magazine); Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll (spring).
2015 (Jr.): Started all 11 games he played, picking up Second Team All-Big 12 honors by the league coaches… Missed the West Virginia game due to injury… Led the nation in solo tackles, averaging 7.9 stops per game… Ranked 14th nationally in total tackles, averaging 10.1 per contest… Claimed the top spot in the Big 12 Conference in tackles-per-game, averaging 10.1 stops a contest… Led the Jayhawks in total tackles with 111 stops on the season… The first Kansas player since 1990 to make 10 or more stops in six-consecutive games… Posted two tackles for loss, two interceptions, three pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the year… South Dakota State: Started at safety, making five tackles and breaking up a pass in the secondary… Memphis: Wrapped-up a game-high 12 tackles, forcing a fumble and breaking up a pass… Named the Muscle Milk Student Athlete of the Week following the Memphis game… at Rutgers: Gathered six tackles… at Iowa State: Reset his personal best for tackles after a 13-stop performance… Baylor: Just missed turning in double-digit tackles after recording nine stops and a pass breakup… Texas Tech: The Jayhawks’ leading defender after a 10-tackle game, in which he recorded a stop behind the line-of-scrimmage, the first interception of his career and a fumble return of 66 yards… at Oklahoma State: Racked up 10 tackles in what was his fourth game with double digit stops… Oklahoma: Notched his fifth game with 10 or more tackles after garnering 10 stops… at Texas: Became the first Kansas player in 15 seasons to make 10 or more tackles in four-straight games after a 13-tackle performance against the Longhorns… at TCU: Continued his double-figure tackling streak after a game-high 12 stops… Also picked off the second pass of his career and returned it 22 yards against the Horned Frogs… West Virginia: Missed the game due to injury… K-State: Returned from injury to log a game-best 11 tackles against K-State… Also tallied the first tackle for loss of his career against the Wildcats.
2014 (So.): KU’s fifth-leading tackler, playing in all 12 contests in 2014… The third-best tackling defensive back after totaling 49 total stops on the season… Also made two tackles-for-loss and had one pass breakup… Southeast Missouri State: Tallied five tackles in his debut for the Jayhawks... at Duke: Collected four tackles... Central Michigan: Posted five tackles... Texas: Recorded two stops... at West Virginia: Notched two tackles... Oklahoma State: Provided three stops... at Texas Tech: Contributed five tackles and his first-career pass breakup... at Baylor: Logged a career-best nine tackles... Iowa State: Recorded three tackles, including one for loss... TCU: Was in on one tackle... at Oklahoma: Posted six tackles, including one tackle in the Sooner backfield... at K-State: In on four stops.2013 (Fr. at Hartnell College): Spent the 2013 season at Hartnell College under head coach Matt Collins... Helped lead the Panthers to the Coast Conference title, including a 9-2 mark and a win in the Living Breath Foundation Bowl... Earned All-Coast Conference First Team honors... Named Hartnell Defensive MVP after leading the Panthers with 74 tackles and eight interceptions on the season... His 58 solo stops and eight picks led the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA)... Also forced two fumbles and was credited with five pass breakups.
High School: Played primarily on offense at Highland HS (Salt Lake City, Utah) under head coach Brody Benson... Helped lead the Rams to a 7-4 mark during his senior campaign, while completing 32-of-61 passes for 528 yards and six touchdowns... Also rushed for 492 yards and nine touchdowns on 69 carries.
Personal: Signed with Navy out of Highlands HS and attended Navy Prep in 2012... Son of Lori and Tony Smithson... Brother, Shaky, played wide receiver at Utah before a stint in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers... Full name is Anthony Smithson, but prefers to go by Fish... Majoring in pre-sport management.