Hall of Fame
One of the finest defensive players ever to wear a Towson uniform, Rodney Smith '90 was inducted into the Towson Hall of Fame in 2000.
He was a four-year starter on the Tiger defensive line who earned All-America honors as a junior and senior. A Tiger senior co-captain, he was a freshman starter for the Tigers’ 1986 team that earned a berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs and was honored as the top Division II team in the East with the Lambert award.
A native of Baltimore who graduated from Baltimore Poly High School, he finished his career with 276 tackles. He also had 30.5 quarterback sacks in his career, the third-highest mark in school history when he graduated.
In his freshman year, Smith was seventh on the team with 40 tackles. He also had seven quarterback sacks, second on the team. As a sophomore, he had 51 tackles, sixth on the team. He led the Tigers with five sacks.
In his junior year, he had 80 tackles, third on the team. He recovered three fumbles and led the team with 4.5 sacks. He also enjoyed the best game of his career in a Homecoming win over James Madison. He made 11 tackles, had four sacks and recovered two fumbles in a 34-6 win over the Dukes. He was named as an honorable mention All-American by Associated Press after the season.
In his senior season, he led the Tigers with 121 tackles and 14 sacks. Honored as the team’s Most Valuable Player, Smith was named second team All-America.
He was also named as the Tigers’ Defensive Player of the Year twice in his career and was the team’s Linesman of the Year as a freshman.
After graduation, Smith enjoyed a seven-year career as a player in the Arena Football League. After one season with the Washington Commandos as a two-way lineman and linebacker, he joined the Albany Firebirds. He spent seven seasons with the Firebirds as a two-way lineman and linebacker. He also served as one of the team’s assistant coaches for one year and as a color commentator for the Firebirds’ radio broadcasts.
For nearly six years, he worked with the Abused and Emotionally Disturbed Children of Albany at The Parsons Child and Family Center.
He was also employed as the human resources manager of employment at The Ayco Company, L.P., where he recruited tax attorneys for careers in estate planning and financial counseling.
An active member of the Harvest Church in Clifton Park, N.Y., he participated in bringing church ministry to the inmates at The New York State Correctional Facility in Lake George, N.Y. He was been a motivational public speaker at several schools, summer camps and youth groups throughout the Albany Capital District. He resides in Albany with his wife and three children.
