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Western Carolina University

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2023 Catamount Football Roster

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Photo by Phil Polito
Photo by Phil Polito
Ashley Evans, WCU Communications and Marketing
Ashley Evans, WCU Communications and Marketing

74 Tyler Smith

  • Position Offensive Line
  • Height 6-8
  • Weight 310
  • Class Redshirt Senior
  • Hometown Laurinburg, N.C.
  • High School Scotland County HS

Biography

Career: Finished his five seasons in Cullowhee with 54-consecutive starts along the offensive line – thought to be the most by player in program history … Signed as an undrafted free agent with the Los Angeles Chargers in April 2024.
 
2023 (Redshirt Senior): Started all 11 games along the offensive line for the Catamounts … Part of a WCU offense that led the nation with an average of 504 yards per game … Named first-team All-Southern Conference by the league’s head coaches and the voting media … Dubbed second-team All-America by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) … Selected first-team preseason All-Southern Conference by the league’s head coaches.

2022 (Redshirt Junior): One of seven players to start all 11 games on the season, doing so from his left tackle position … Was one of three offensive linemen to start each game ... Helped the Catamount offense set a single-season school record of 5,339 yards of total offense … Named second team All-Southern Conference by the league’s head coaches Was a first-team preseason All-Southern Conference selection along the offensive line by the league's head coaches ... Tabbed second-team preseason All-SoCon by Phil Steele.

2021 (Redshirt Sophomore*): Started all 11 games on the season on the offensive line, one of just two WCU linemen to do so ... Was named second-team All-Southern Conference by Phil Steele ... Credited with one tackle on a solo stop at The Citadel (Oct. 23) ... Was WCU's lone preseason All-Southern Conference selection by the league's head coaches.

2020-21 (Redshirt Sophomore): Started all nine of the team’s seasonal games along the offensive line and on special teams … Started the first two games of the season at right tackle before making seven-straight starts at left tackle.

2019 (Redshirt Freshman): Started all 12 games along the offensive line including nine games at right tackle and three starts at left tackle … Also saw action on special teams … Made his first collegiate start in the season-opener against Mercer (Aug. 31) … Named an honorable mention for the HERO Sports Freshman All-America team following the season.

2018 (Freshman): Played in four games as a reserve along the offensive line where he was a part of the unit that saw QB Tyrie Adams rush for 1,000 yards, giving WCU its fourth-straight 1,000-yard rusher … Also saw action on special teams … Made his collegiate debut at Mercer (Oct. 20) … Joined the Catamount football team in the spring semester, going through WCU's annual Spring Drills along the offensive line.

Prior to Western Carolina: Two-time all-conference selection, earning All-Southeastern 4A Conference (SEC) selection as a junior and an All-Sandhills Athletic Conference (SAC) nod as a senior … Was named to the WPDE End Zone Team and was selected to play in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following his senior season while also collecting 910Prep.com All-State accolades … Was additionally named to the 2017 American Family Insurance All-USA North Carolina Football Team.
 
Personal: Full name is James Tyler Smith … Is the son of Betty Jo and Jamie Smith.

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 74

    2018Freshman

    Offensive Line
    6'8" 320 lbs
    74
  • 74

    2019Redshirt Freshman

    Offensive Line
    6'8" 300 lbs
    74
  • 74

    2020Redshirt Sophomore

    Offensive Line
    6'8" 300 lbs
    74
  • 74

    2021Redshirt Sophomore

    Offensive Line
    6'8" 300 lbs
    74
  • 74

    2022Redshirt Junior

    Offensive Line
    6'8" 310 lbs
    74
  • 74

    2023Redshirt Senior

    Offensive Line
    6'8" 310 lbs
    74