American offensive lineman Eric Smith has retired from the CFL at the age of 29.
The six-foot-four, 321-pound blocker joined the Calgary Stampeders last offseason and made five starts at left tackle. He spent the rest of the year on the team’s practice roster.
The native of Decatur, Ga. spent six years bouncing around the NFL before coming north of the border, including stints with the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, and Tennessee Titans. He dressed for a total of four regular-season games but did not make any starts.
Smith played collegiately at the University of Virginia where he became just the fourth true freshman in program history to start games at the tackle position. Over four seasons with the Cavaliers, he appeared in 45 games and made 44 career starts, including 36 consecutive at right tackle to end his tenure.
The Calgary Stampeders finished fifth in the West Division in 2024 with a record of 5-12-1, missing the postseason for the first time since 2004. The team will open its 2025 regular season by hosting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at McMahon Stadium on Saturday, June 7 with kickoff slated for 7:00 p.m. EDT.
