Trey Smith, former Tennessee football great and current Chiefs OL, has jersey retired by USJ

After having an outstanding high school football career at USJ, Trey Smith went on to become one of the finest offensive lineman in recent Tennessee football history. He later won an offensive guard championship with the Kansas City Chiefs and an NFL Super Bowl.

“Returning home tonight to the place where it all started was an honor. #USJBruin,” Smith tweeted on Friday following the events.

After a stellar career at USJ, where he was crowned Tennessee Mr. Football as the Division II-A Lineman of the Year twice in 2015 and 2016, Smith was a five-star recruit and ranked No. 6 overall by 247Sports in the Class of 2017.

Smith had blood clots in his lungs prior to and during his sophomore year at Tennessee, but he overcame them to play a variety of positions on the offensive line and be selected to the first team of the SEC twice in 2019 and 2020.

Despite his on-field acumen, questions about his long-term health related to the blood clots pushed Smith down the board in the 2021 NFL Draft. He was selected in the sixth round by the Kansas City Chiefs and quickly earned a starting job at right guard for one of the best teams in the NFL.