Rebels sports information director CJ Newton told Knox News that Bearden football offensive lineman Brody Smith will be moving to Blount County and transferring to Maryville.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound sophomore, who played tight end in the NFL for 11 years and is the son of former Powell star Lee Smith, is scheduled to enroll at the school on Tuesday.
Brody has offers from Tennessee, Penn State, Colorado and South Carolina, among others. At Bearden, he was a member of the All-Region 2-6A team and helped the Bulldogs finish 9-4 and advance to the Class 6A quarterfinals.
He was also the starting center on a basketball team that advanced to the Class 4A state sectional game.
Lee Smith was selected 159th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He was released during training camp and claimed waivers by the Buffalo Bills. He played for the Bills from 2011-14, the Oakland Raiders from 2015-18, the Bills again from 2019-20, and the Atlanta Falcons in 2021 before retiring.
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Lee Smith enrolled at the University of Tennessee but never played for the Vols. His college football career was spent at Marshall after being waived before the start of his freshman season.
Maryville, which has won 17 TSSAA football championships, finished 7-5 last season and advanced to the second round of Class 6A. The Rebels lost to Bearden 21-20 in overtime of a regular season game.
Toyroy Brown III is a sports reporter for Knox News. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. Previously on X, he was on Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
