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.
CARD: Topps AAF 2019 Certified ACQUIRED: 2019, Personal Break
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
A tweener with the ability to line up at DE or OLB, Jake Pugh played for FSU from 2014-’17.
Seeing action in 36 games over his college career, he recorded 108 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 2 interceptions, 4 pass deflections, 3 fumble recoveries- of which he returned 1 for a TD.
Considered an EDGE in the pros, he went undrafted but saw some preseason action with the Seattle Seahawks in 2018.
He then joined the Orlando Apollos of the AAF in 2019.
Unfortunately he sustained a neck injury before the first game of the season and didn’t see any action that season.
In 2020, he’d play for the Tampa Bay Vipers of the XFL.
Then he tried his hand in the CFL with the Stampeders in 2022 but didn’t make the squad.
CARD: Wildcard World League 1992 ACQUIRED: EBay, 2023 FAILURE: TTM 2020, C/o Work
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
Eddie Brown played WR at Iowa State where he racked up 27 catches for 562 yards and 5 TDs in 22 contests.
Undrafted he’d play in the CFL in 1990 and ’91 as an import player for the Stamps and the Rough Riders.
In 1992 he took his game to the Sacramento Surge of the World League, where he led the league in receiving and set records for yards in a season.
After the Surge won World Bowl II and the World League went on hiatus, Brown went right back to the CFL playing for the Argos that year but not seeing the field.
It was with the Esks that Eddie really found a home and hit his stride, playing with the team from 1993-’95.
He pounded out back to back 1000+ yard seasons, including a career high 1,378 yards and 15 TDs in ’93, and a career high 79 catches in ’94.
As part of the CFLUSA invasion in ’95, he’d split his time with the Memphis Mad Dogs and the Esks that year.
In ’96 he returned to Edmonton for another 2 year stint.
He’d return to form that season with another 70 cathces for 1,325 yards and 7 TDs.
He’d also go down in Grey Cup and CFL lore for making an incredible, juggling catch for a TD in a snow covered stadium during the ’96 contest.
After a small stint with the Alouettes in ’98, Eddie saw a renaissance of sorts playing out on the left coast with BC through ’99.
Downtown took his game to the Arena Football League, playing one year with the Iowa Barnstormers in 2000 catching 11 TDs on 39 receptions.
By the end of the year he was back in the CFL playing for Toronto.
A small hiatus in 2001, led him back to Renegades for his final season in 2002.
Infamously walked off during a game, frustrated with the team’s lack of focus on getting into the playoffs and never looked back.
Has been a positional coach in the Ottawa area for almost 10 years.
ACCOLADES:
All World League 1991
CFL All-Star 1996
CFL West All-Star 1996, ’99
NOTES:
I had been eyeballing this card for a few years on EBay and decided to lowball offer the seller. To my surprise he accepted- and Eddie Brown was soon to be mine. I’m not a big fan of ball point pen autographs but I can’t complain since the last time I sent to him I basically overpaid and flushed Canadian postage down the toilet.
Eddie ‘Downtown’ Brown, is not to be confused with Eddie ‘Touchdown’ Brown- former Arena football star and father to former NFL receiver Antonio Brown. He is also not to be confused with former Bengals WR Eddie ‘Downtown’ Brown either.
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
532
8663
16.3
60
78
CFL
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
48
1011
21.1
12
80t
WL
REC
YDS
AVG
TD
LG
39
698
17.9
11
N/a
Arena
Celebrating the game, the players, the cards, and the autographs for over 25 years.
