He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs and was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the third round of the 2003 NFL draft.

During a Week 11 game with the Dallas Cowboys in 2004, Smith was horse-collar tackled from behind by safety Roy Williams.

The injury basically put Smith out of action for two seasons (he played only one game in 2005) and led to the NFL banning the tackle in May 2005.

In the 2006 Ravens training camp, Smith outplayed Mike Anderson in the battle for the backup running back job behind Jamal Lewis.

He was the backup to Willis McGahee and had an increased role in the 2007 season as in past years he mainly played on special teams.