About Irv Smith Jr.

Irvin Martin Smith Jr. (born August 9, 1998) is an American professional football tight end for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Early life
Smith was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on August 9, 1998. Shortly after being born, he moved to Arizona where he spent the first 14 years of his life. Smith moved back to New Orleans at age 14 and attended Brother Martin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he played high school football. As a senior, he had 31 receptions for 558 yards and four touchdowns. He originally committed to Texas A&M University to play college football, but changed to the University of Alabama.

College career
After not recording a reception as a true freshman at Alabama in 2016, Smith had 14 receptions for 128 yards and three touchdowns over 14 games as a sophomore in 2017. He returned to Alabama as a starter in 2018. On January 11, 2019, Smith announced that he would declare for the 2019 NFL draft.