Akil Smith Class: Senior Hometown: Richmond, Va. High School: Fork Union Military Height / Weight: 6-4 / 280 Position: OG Experience: 2VL

Smith Fact: Honorable mention All-ACC selection as sophomore in 1999
Fall 2001 Depth Chart Position: Second-team offensive tackle
Year Lettered: 1998, 1999
Bowl Game Participation: 1999 Peach Bowl vs. Mississippi State

Overview: Honorable mention All-ACC tackle in 1999 who sat out the 2000 season....suffered from pneumonia and a pulminary embolism in May of 2000 and had to be hospitalized...had to go on blood thinners and was thus forced to red-shirt the season...still has two years of eligibility...preseason all-conference selection by Lindy's prior to the 2000 season...perhaps Clemson's most versatile and talented offensive lineman, he started nine games at left tackle and two at left guard in 1999...named Clemson Offensive Rookie of the Year for 1999...has played1127 snaps in his career..played in 22 of a possible 23 games over the 1998 and 1999 seasons…will be in a battle for starting offensive tackle position on Clemson's experienced offensive line in 2001....

In 1999: Played seven complete games, he missed just two snaps in the first seven games of the season...played 75 snaps against Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl and ended the year with 887 plays, an average of 74 per game, third highest total on the Clemson team...Clemson's highest graded offensive lineman against Duke when he graded 89 percent in 69 plays...also had a season high eight knockdown blocks...second on team in knockdown blocks with 62...a prime reason Clemson has averaged 403 yards per game, third highest average in Clemson history...allowed just four sacks all season...honorable mention All-ACC by the ACC Sportswriters Association...first-team all-state by the College Sports Report...Army ROTC Offensive Take No Prisoners Award for the North Carolina game...In addition to the Duke game, also graded 85 percent against Maryland...was close to 80 percent grade against NC State (79) and Florida State (78)...that was certainly an outstanding performance against Florida State's solid defensive line...also played well against North Carolina with a 74 percent grade in 78 plays...started every game but the Wake Forest contest.....

In 1998: Played more snaps at offensive tackle as a first-year freshman than any other first-year freshman in over 20 years, and it was the sixth most snaps by any freshman, red-shirt or first-year, since 1979...played in 10 of the 11 games for 240 plays, 24 snaps per game...did not start a game in 1998, but averaged 43 plays per game over the last four games of the season...Clemson's improvement offensively coinsided with his insertion into the lineup..had his best game against NC State when he played 60 snaps and graded 80 percent...played 53 snaps at Duke and was a key contributor to Clemson's 99-yard drive late in that game...played 32 snaps in the win over South Carolina...played in every game but the Wake Forest contest....

In High School: Tallied 61 total tackles, including 36 solos as a senior...first-team All-Central Virginia as both an offensive and defensive lineman...All-Virginia Prep League selection as an offensive and defensive lineman...#18 player in Virginia according to SuperPrep...First-Team Virginia Independent Schools selection on both sides of the ball...All-Prep in the shot put...Fork Union Military Academy has a high school and graduate program, Akil attended the high school...pronounced uh-KEEL...born Desmond Akil Smith on 12-28-79...majoring in marketing.