Pirates Sign Former NFL DB Tye Smith
April 17, 2025 - Indoor Football League (IFL)
Massachusetts Pirates News Release
LOWELL, MA - The Massachusetts Pirates have signed former National Football League defensive back Tye Smith. Smith, a fifth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks in 2015 (170th overall), most recently was with the Memphis Showboats of the UFL in 2024.
From 2015 through 2022, Smith appeared in 45 NFL games, making 64 tackles, with two forced fumbles, two passes defended, an interception, and a touchdown coming on a blocked field goal return.
Smith, a 6'0", 190 lb. former All-American from Towson University, played in four games with the Seahawks in 2015 and spent time on their practice squad in 2016. That same year he also was on the practice squad with the Washington Redskins.
2017 saw Smith sign with the Tennessee Titans, where he played three seasons. In that first year, he played in a career high 15 games where he made 19 tackles and had an interception. After being on injured reserve in 2018, the Raleigh, NC native returned for nine games in 2019, where he made 26 tackles and notched two forced fumbles. He scored his only NFL touchdown in week 13 against the Indianapolis Colts as he returned a blocked Adam Vinatieri field goal attempt 63 yards for a score in a 31-17 victory. In 2020, he played in 12 more games with the Titans, making 15 tackles.
In 2021, he joined the practice squad of the Minnesota Vikings and saw the field for five games in the 2022 season, making six tackles.
2023 saw Smith sign with the Orlando Guardians of the XFL. When the XFL and USFL merged to form the UFL, he was selected by the Memphis Showboats during the league dispersal draft. He remained with Memphis through March of 2024.
Smith played for four years at Towson University from 2011 through 2014, appearing in 50 games, making 312 tackles with six interceptions. His junior season saw him named to the Colonial Athletic Association All-Second team as he made 103 tackles with 4.5 tackles for a loss, one sack, two interceptions, 12 passes broken up, one fumble recovery, and two forced fumbles.
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