Atlanta Falcons coach Arthur Smith played cornerback at North Carolina from 2001 to 2005. He battled injuries and played little during college, but quickly began his coaching career with the Tar Heels as an assistant in 2006.
After spending a year as an assistant at his alma mater, Smith moved to the NFL as a quality control assistant.
Want to guess where he started his NFL coaching career?
If you guessed the then-Washington Redskins, you’d be correct.
Smith joined Washington in 2007 under Joe Gibbs, where he spent two seasons as defensive quality control coach. Smith’s father, Fred, was a minority partner in former owner Daniel Snyder before their falling out.
So, directly or indirectly, Smith has a lot of ties to the Commanders and quarterback Sam Howell. Howell, like Smith, played football at the University of North Carolina. As Howell prepared for the 2022 NFL Draft, Smith visited Chapel Hill to scout Howell, where he was spotted on the sidelines with North Carolina head coach Mack Brown.
UNC HC Mack Brown and Atlanta Falcons HC Arthur Smith have teamed up.
The Falcons are thinking about Sam Howell at No. 8!?
📸: go @CoachMackBrown pic.twitter.com/rZ0LWlX68x
— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 23, 2022
While preparing for the Week 6 game against Washington, Smith provided the following scouting report from a fellow UNC alum.
“I think Sam Howell did a good job,” Smith said. “I don’t know what the numbers are, but he’s damn tough. It’s very accurate and will sit there. You have to respect that.”
Smith then praised Washington’s players, naming Terry McLaurin, Jahan Dotson, Curtis Samuel, Dyami Brown, Brian Robinson Jr., Logan Thomas and Antonio Gibson.
Smith was later asked to compare Howell and the defensive back the Falcons selected over Howell in the 2022 NFL Draft, Desmond Ridder.
“They’re different players,” Smith said of Howell and Ridder. “I knew a lot about Sam just by following him as they recruited, going to North Carolina. Broke a lot of records there, vertical passer. I think the same thing; you see it now in the NFL, he throws a very accurate deep ball. I think he’s tough as hell……he’s a good passing attack……he’s tough, he’s a smart football player……we have a lot of respect for Sam.”
Smith praised Howell’s toughness, meaning he’ll likely challenge that toughness at some point on Sunday.