TOLEDO, Ohio – Toledo senior defensive back Avery Smith has been selected to the Jim Thorpe Award preseason watch list, the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame and Jim Thorpe Association announced on Wednesday.
Smith was named among 35 of the nation's top defensive backs and was one of just three players from the Mid-American Conference named to the preseason watch list.
A Second-Team All-MAC selection a season ago, Smith totaled 58 tackles, 16 passes defended, 14 pass breakups and two interceptions. He had the game-winning pass breakup at Eastern Michigan on the final play in a 29-28 thriller, and tied a career high with eight tackles and broke up a pass in Toledo's six-overtime GameAbove Sports Bowl victory over Pitt.