South Carolina WR Shi Smith announces NFL Draft decision
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Shi Smith has made it official: the South Carolina wide receiver is off to the NFL.
In late November, interim head coach Mike Bobo had shared that Smith was likely to move on. Tuesday night, Smith shared a lengthy statement on his Instagram, declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft:
“First I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for blessing me with the ability and putting me in the position that I’m in.
“To my teammates – Thank you for pushing to be my best day in and day out, you all are my brothers and family, our friendships will never be forgotten.
“To my family – Ma, Pops I thank you more than you will ever know you both worked super hard to make my dreams come true. Ma, it was nights I saw you crying and me not wanting to bother you or ask why, just made me go harder! Pops, I appreciate you for shaping me into the man I’ve become, for pushing and motivating me to be the best at everything I do. To my son, Braylon, I will be the best father I can be to you, you made my “why” special. Shad, Quan, TJ, Ahmad, I love y’all, another reason why go hard! Aunt, uncles, cousins, friends, appreciate you for all you do for me. I love y’all!
“To my coaches – From Pop Warner, middle school, high school, college, thank you for teaching me the game that I love, for making me the player that I am now, but better yet the man that I’ve become. Especially Coach Muschamp, thank you for the opportunity and believing in me.
“To the University of South Carolina/fans – thank you for the best 4 years of my life. The moment I stepped on campus I knew that I’ve made the best decision of my life. The memories and bonds that I’ve created while I was here will never be forgotten. To the best fans in college football, the love and passion for Gamecock football is unbelieveable. There’s nothing like Willy B on a Saturday night.
“What that being said I decided to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. 13Out”
Smith led South Carolina receivers, recording 54 catches for 605 yards and 4 touchdowns. In his Gamecock career, Smith appeared in 42 games, posting 171 receptions for 2,176 yards and 13 scores.
Smith finished No. 4 in receptions all-time among South Carolina receivers, trailing Alshon Jeffery by just 12 catches for third-place. In yardage, Smith’s 2,176 yards are the ninth-most of any South Carolina player, besting Pharoh Cooper by 13 yards.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
