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Utes great Alex Smith to be inducted into College Football Hall of Fame

FIESTA BOWL
Posted at 9:33 AM, Jan 07, 2024
and last updated 2024-01-07 11:49:09-05

ATLANTA — Utes great Alex Smith is set to be immortalized as the newest member of the College Football Hall of Fame.

Smith was announced Sunday as a member of the 2024 class, becoming the first Utah player to gain entry into the hall. Head coach Ike Armstrong was inducted in 1957.

At Utah from 2002-05, Smith remains the school record-holder for single-season touchdown passes with 32, and his 42 total touchdowns remains a Utah record.

In 2004, Smith was a first-team All-American and a Heisman Trophy Finalist, ending his Utes career in the Fiesta Bowl in which he was named MVP. Smith finished his collegiate career with 5,203 passing yards and 47 touchdowns, along with 1,072 rushing yards and 15 rushing scores.

While at Utah, Smith was a two-time All-Mountain West selection, earning National Player of the Year by Sports Illustrated in his final season.

Following his time at Utah, Smith was selected No. 1 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft, earning three Pro Bowl invites in his 16-year career and was named the 2020 NFL Comeback Player of the Year after returning to the field from a gruesome leg injury that almost took his life.

The 2024 class will be officially inducted on Dec. 10.