Before former Texas A&M cornerback Kevin Smith is officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in Las Vegas in December, he’ll be commemorated at the same spot where his Hall of Fame achievements took place over 30 years ago.
Smith, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame’s 2024 class, will be recognized during the Aggies’ game against No. 9 Missouri at Kyle Field at 11 a.m. Saturday. The celebration is part of the National Football Foundation On-Campus Salute, a tradition dating back to the inaugural College Football Hall of Fame Class of 1951.
“Kevin Smith’s exceptional speed, ball instincts, and game-changing performances have solidified his legacy at Texas A&M as well as nationally as one of the best to ever play the game,” NFF President and CEO Steve Hatchell said in a press release. “We are thrilled to honor him at Kyle Field as a member of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class.”
During the ceremony, Smith will receive a Hall of Fame plaque that will be permanently displayed by A&M. He’s the program’s 12th former player to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, alongside six coaches, including R.C. Slocum, the Aggies’ head coach during Smith’s playing days from 1988-91.
Smith earned First Team All-Southwest Conference honors three years, including First Team All-American distinction in 1991, when A&M won the conference and appeared in the Cotton Bowl. That season, the Aggies led the country in total defense at 222.4 yards per game and passing defense at 136.4 yards with Smith patrolling the backfield.
The Orange native tied the SWC record and is first in the Aggies’ record books with 20 career interceptions, while his 289 interception return yards and three pick-sixes are the most in A&M history. Smith’s 32 pass breakups were a school record at the time.
The Aggies capped a 9-3-1 season in 1990 with a 65-14 win over BYU in the Holiday Bowl. Smith made four tackles with three pass breakups and a fumble recovery as the Cougars’ Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Ty Detmer was limited to just 120 yards.
A&M went 34-14-1 over Smith’s four seasons in Aggieland, as he racked up 133 tackles, five fumble recoveries and five forced fumbles. Smith was also a force on special teams in 1991 with 19 punt returns for 274.5 yards, including a pair of returns for over 70 yards.
Smith was selected 17th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, spending eight seasons with the team and winning three Super Bowls in 1993, 1994 and 1996. Over 103 games, he made 361 tackles, intercepted 19 passes and forced eight fumbles.
After being inducted into the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997, Smith lives in the Dallas area and is an entrepreneur. Smith and the rest of the 2024 College Football Hall of Fame Class will be officially inducted at the NFF’s 66th Annual Awards Dinner at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on Dec. 10.
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