CFL, NFL, NFLE

Smith, Akili

CARD: Playoff Prestige 2000 Bengals Checklist (Certified)
ACQUIRED: Ebay, 2025

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Akili Smith was a two year starter for the Oregon Ducks from 1997-’98.
  • In 1998, He completed 191 of 325 passes for 3,307 yards and 30 TDs.
  • That season he led the PAC-10 in completion percentage (58.8), yards, TDs, Yards per attempt (10.2), yards per game (300.2) and Rating (170.4).
  • He’d declare for the 1999 draft and be the 3rd quarterback taken off the board with the 3rd overall pick, (behind Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb), by the Cincinnati Bengals.
  • He played four seasons for the Bengals from 1999-’02.
  • During his rookie season, he led the Bengals to an 18-17 win over the Browns, completing 25 of 42 passes for 221 yards and 2 TDs.
  • Dealing with a nagging toe injury, the Bengals opted to shut him down after week 8.
  • Akili returned for the 2000 campaign but struggled to find his footing as the starter and eventually was benched.
  • On the season, Smith finished 118 of 267 for 1253 yards and 3 TDs to 6 picks in 12 contests.
  • He saw action in two contests in 2001, but popped his hamstring in week 14 and didn’t return to action.
  • Released in 2003, he signed with the Packers but was unable to latch on with the team after camp.
  • After a more than a year off, Akili was allocated to the NFLE where he played for the Frankfurt Galaxy in 2005.
  • Smith completed 53 of 84 passes for 589 yards and 2 TDs to 2 interceptions, and ran for another TD as well.
  • Earned an audition with the Buccaneers but would be released before the preseason.
  • Joined the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL in 2006 but didn’t make the roster.
  • At last glance in 2025 was a high school football coach in California.

NOTES:

So WHY did the Bengals draft Akili knowing what they knew about his poor Wonderlic stats? Why did the Bengals draft Akili with Mike Ditka and the Saints attempting to trade everything in their draft to move up to 3 to select Ricky Williams? Why when both Tim Couch and Donovan McNabb just went off the board did the Bengals still bank on Akili?

Well, in 1998 Peyton Manning had just been drafted by the Colts out of Tennessee. Smith had an incredible breakout season by any regards for a quarterback in the 90s. He had an electric comeback against the Bruins where he just put the team on his shoulders and won the game, and his 1998 season was superior (dare I say) to Manning’s statistically, AND Smith could make teams pay with his running ability.

The Bengals franchise was obviously NOT the place he should’ve gone, and one wonders what would’ve happened if Culpepper or McNabb ended up at Riverfront and Smith somewhere else how that would’ve played out.

That being said not only did Smith hold out to start things off, he had a penchant for relying on his athleticism and not studying his playbook. We’ve seen this movie before, and it only ends in disaster.