5 Things to Know About Linebacker Za’Darius Smith

Vikings fans have seen Smith impact four Border Battles and help Green Bay go 3-1 against Minnesota from 2019-20.

The greatest display occurred in December 2019 when Smith recorded 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and five quarterback hits to help the Packers clinch the NFC North and record their first win at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Smith’s 3.5 sacks in that game are the most by a Packers player in a Border Battle since sacks became official in 1982. They also are tied with Sean McInerney, who recorded 3.5 for Chicago in a 1987 game when teams were using “replacement players” to keep the season going through a strike.

Four players — Reggie White (with 1988 Eagles), Simon Fletcher (with 1990 Broncos), Peter Boulware (with 2001 Ravens) and Leonard Little (with 2003 Rams) — recorded 4.0 sacks in a game against the Vikings.

Smith entered the NFL as a fourth-round pick by Baltimore in the 2015 NFL Draft. He started just 16 of the 58 regular-season games he played for the Ravens but totaled 18.5 sacks, including 8.5 in 2018 when he started eight games.

The Packers inked Smith to be a starter during free agency in 2019, and he made them right, helping Green Bay win NFC North titles with Pro Bowl play before suffering his injury.

Smith’s progression to becoming a starter may have resulted in part from him being relatively new to football. Although he grew up in Alabama, Smith focused on basketball at Greenville High School until trying the gridiron in his senior year.

Interestingly, he said in is University of Kentucky bio that his dream job (other than playing in the NFL) would be as the head football coach at his high school.