Photo by: Maria Lysaker - Rice Athletics
Smith Wins Brigance Award
4/17/2022 11:48:00 AM | Football
Three-Year Starter and 2022 Captain
Safety Naeem Smith, who starred at Rice for three seasons has been named the winner of the O.J. Brigance Award. The announcement was made during the Owls' annual Blue-Gray Spring Game on Saturday.
The Brigance Award is given annually to the Rice University football player who best represents and demonstrates the combined qualities of teamwork, good character, work ethic, and courageous leadership, which are the hallmark of the athletic and professional career of former Owl and NFL player O. J. Brigance.
Smith became the embodiment of those qualities over three seasons at Rice after joining the Owls from Ellsworth Junior College in 2020. On the field, he was a three-year starter (thanks to an extra year of eligibility with the COVID-19 waiver), earning second-team All-Conference USA honors from Pro Football Network while also serving as a co-captain. He led the Owls and was second in the conference with four interceptions and had seven career thefts in 26 games with Rice.
After missing the first three games of the shortened 2020 season with an injury, he returned to action on the road against No. 15 Marshall and was credited with three tackles and broke the game open with a 36-yard interception return touchdown, the first for the Owls since 2017.
In the classroom, he was a 2020 recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and was named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. He received his undergraduate degree in Sport Management and is completing work on a Masters of Accounting while also training for the NFL Draft.
The Brigance Award is given annually to the Rice University football player who best represents and demonstrates the combined qualities of teamwork, good character, work ethic, and courageous leadership, which are the hallmark of the athletic and professional career of former Owl and NFL player O. J. Brigance.
Smith became the embodiment of those qualities over three seasons at Rice after joining the Owls from Ellsworth Junior College in 2020. On the field, he was a three-year starter (thanks to an extra year of eligibility with the COVID-19 waiver), earning second-team All-Conference USA honors from Pro Football Network while also serving as a co-captain. He led the Owls and was second in the conference with four interceptions and had seven career thefts in 26 games with Rice.
After missing the first three games of the shortened 2020 season with an injury, he returned to action on the road against No. 15 Marshall and was credited with three tackles and broke the game open with a 36-yard interception return touchdown, the first for the Owls since 2017.
In the classroom, he was a 2020 recipient of the C-USA Commissioner's Academic Medal and was named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. He received his undergraduate degree in Sport Management and is completing work on a Masters of Accounting while also training for the NFL Draft.
Players Mentioned
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