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Wendell Smallwood

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Wendell Smallwood
refer to caption
Smallwood with the Washington Redskins in 2019, holding Josh Adams's jersey
No. 28, 29, 34, 38
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born: (1994-01-20) January 20, 1994 (age 30)
Wilmington, Delaware, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:208 lb (94 kg)
Career information
High school:Eastern Christian Academy (Elkton, Maryland)
College:West Virginia
NFL draft:2016 / round: 5 / pick: 153
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:956
Rushing average:4.0
Receptions:60
Receiving yards:474
Return yards:401
Total touchdowns:8
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Wendell Lynn Smallwood Jr.[1] (born January 20, 1994) is a former American football running back. He played college football at West Virginia and was selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Smallwood was also a member of the Washington Redskins, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Early life

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Smallwood attended Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Delaware, before transferring to Eastern Christian Academy in Elkton, Maryland, for his senior year.[2][3] He was rated by Rivals.com as a three-star recruit. He received offers from West Virginia, Boston College, Connecticut, Hawaii, Rutgers, and Temple.[4] He chose to commit to West Virginia University (WVU) to play college football.[5]

College career

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As a true freshman at West Virginia in 2013, Smallwood played in 12 games and rushed for 221 yards on 39 carries with one touchdown. He also served as a kick returner, returning 30 kickoffs for a total of 541 yards.[2][6] As a sophomore, he played in all 13 games and made nine starts. He had 722 rushing yards on 148 carries and two touchdowns.[7] He also recorded 31 receptions, fifth most in school history for a single season.[2][8] As a junior in 2015, Smallwood rushed for a Big 12 Conference-leading 1,519 yards on 238 carries with nine touchdowns.[9][10] With 2,462 rushing yards in his collegiate career, he finished ninth in school history.[11] After the season, he decided to forego his senior season and entered the 2016 NFL draft.[12][13] While at West Virginia, he majored in criminology with a minor in communications.[2]

Career statistics

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Season Team GP GS Rushing Receiving
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD
2013 WVU 12 1 39 221 5.7 38 1 11 132 12.0 30 0
2014 WVU 13 9 148 722 4.9 35 2 31 326 10.5 50 0
2015 WVU 13 12 238 1,519 6.4 52 9 26 160 6.2 15 0
Career 38 22 425 2,462 5.8 52 12 68 618 9.1 50 0

Professional career

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Pre-draft measurables
Height Weight Arm length Hand span 40-yard dash 10-yard split 20-yard split 20-yard shuttle Three-cone drill Vertical jump Broad jump Bench press
5 ft 10+1⁄2 in
(1.79 m) 		208 lb
(94 kg) 		30+1⁄2 in
(0.77 m) 		9+1⁄4 in
(0.23 m)		 4.47 s 1.57 s 2.63 s 4.28 s 6.83 s 33.5 in
(0.85 m)		 10 ft 0 in
(3.05 m)		 14 reps
All values from NFL Combine[14][15]

Philadelphia Eagles

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Smallwood (left) celebrates a touchdown with teammate Chris Maragos

Smallwood was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL draft with the 153rd overall pick.[16] He signed his rookie four-year contract on May 4, 2016.[17]

On September 25, 2016, Smallwood scored his first career rushing touchdown in a 34–3 win against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Due to an ankle injury limiting starter Ryan Mathews to only two carries, Smallwood was the featured back for the Eagles, recording 89 yards and the touchdown on 17 carries. In Week 6 against the Washington Redskins, he scored his first kickoff return touchdown and the NFL's first kickoff return touchdown of the season. He was placed on injured reserve on December 12, 2016, finishing his rookie season with 312 rushing yards and a touchdown.[18][19]

In the 2017 season, Smallwood finished with 174 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 13 receptions, and 103 receiving yards.[20] During his second year in the NFL, the Eagles defeated the New England Patriots by a score of 41–33, giving them their first Super Bowl championship in franchise history.[21][22]

In the 2018 season, Smallwood continued to share a deep backfield. In Week 3, he scored his first rushing touchdown of the season against the Indianapolis Colts.[23] Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 364 rushing yards, three rushing touchdowns, 28 receptions, 230 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns.[24] The Eagles made the playoffs as the #6-seed. In the Wild Card Round against the Chicago Bears, he had 20 rushing yards and 20 receiving yards in the 16–15 victory.[25] In the Divisional Round against the New Orleans Saints, he had 33 rushing yards and a six-yard reception in the 20–14 loss.[26]

Smallwood was waived during final roster cuts on August 31, 2019.[27]

Washington Redskins

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Smallwood alongside his teammates in a game against the New York Jets

On September 1, 2019, Smallwood was claimed off waivers by the Washington Redskins.[28] In the 2019 season, he appeared in 15 games and recorded 22 carries for 81 rushing yards to go along with nine receptions for 64 receiving yards.[29]

Pittsburgh Steelers

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On July 28, 2020, Smallwood signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.[30] He was waived on September 5, 2020, and re-signed to the practice squad two days later.[31][32] He was elevated to the active roster on December 2 for the team's week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens, and reverted to the practice squad after the game.[33] His practice squad contract with the team expired after the season on January 18, 2021.[34]

Jacksonville Jaguars

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On October 6, 2021, Smallwood was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars to the practice squad.[35] He was released on October 12.[36]

Washington Football Team

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On November 2, 2021, Smallwood was signed to the Washington Football Team's practice squad.[37]

NFL career statistics

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Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Kick return
GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Att Yds Lng TD
2016 PHI 13 1 77 312 4.1 19 1 6 55 9.2 18 0 9 261 86T 1
2017 PHI 8 3 47 174 3.7 26 1 13 103 7.9 24 0 4 93 28 0
2018 PHI 16 6 87 364 4.2 15 3 28 230 8.2 36 2 2 33 17 0
2019 WAS 15 0 22 81 3.7 17 0 9 64 7.1 18 0 1 14 14 0
2020 PIT 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Career 53 12 233 931 4.0 26 5 56 452 8.1 36 2 16 401 86T 1

Personal life

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Smallwood is the son of Nichelle Barber and Wendell Smallwood. Growing up, he was a Philadelphia Eagles fan, his favorite player being Duce Staley, who became his position coach upon Smallwood being drafted by the Eagles.[2]

In July 2014, Smallwood was arrested in Delaware on charges of witness tampering.[38] Smallwood was accused of trying to get a witness to recant statements they made implicating a friend of Smallwood's, Zakee Lloyd, charged with first-degree murder.[39][40] The same day, the charges against Smallwood were dropped when prosecutors claimed Smallwood agreed to cooperate and testify at trial, Lloyd pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.[41][42][43][44]

In November 2024, Smallwood was charged with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service.[45] These charges may result in Smallwood facing up to 50 years in prison. Authorities also believe Smallwood of being involved in a conspiracy to defraud COVID-19 relief programs.[46]

References

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  1. ^ Wells, Adam (July 15, 2014). "West Virginia RB Wendell Smallwood Accused of Witness Intimidation". BleacherReport.com. Archived from the original on September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Wendell Smallwood Eagles bio" (PDF). PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  3. ^ Frank, Martin (July 22, 2016). "Delaware native Wendell Smallwood: 'Football saved my life'". Delaware Online. Archived from the original on January 10, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  4. ^ "Wendell Smallwood Recruit Interests". 247sports.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  5. ^ "Wendell Smallwood Running back". Rivals.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  6. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2013 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  7. ^ Chatmon, Brandon (July 28, 2015). "Versatile Wendell Smallwood could be a key to West Virginia's offense". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  8. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2014 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  9. ^ "2015 Big 12 Conference Leaders". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  10. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2015 Game Log". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
  11. ^ "West Virginia Mountaineers Rushing". College Football at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  12. ^ "West Virginia RB Wendell Smallwood declares for NFL draft". ESPN.com. Associated Press. January 7, 2016. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  13. ^ Taylor, Allan (January 6, 2016). "Wendell Smallwood opts for NFL draft after all". WVMetroNews.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  14. ^ "Wendell Smallwood, DS #14 RB, West Virginia". NFLDraftScout.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  15. ^ "Wendell Smallwood Draft Profile". NFL.com. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  16. ^ "2016 NFL Draft Listing". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on July 11, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  17. ^ Sheridan, Phil (May 4, 2016). "Wendell Smallwood, four other draft picks sign with Eagles". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  18. ^ McPherson, Chris (December 12, 2016). "Eagles Place Three On Injured Reserve". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  19. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2016 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  20. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2017 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 17, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  21. ^ Wesseling, Chris (February 4, 2018). "Philadelphia Eagles win Super Bowl LII". NFL.com. Archived from the original on April 5, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
  22. ^ "Super Bowl LII – Philadelphia Eagles vs. New England Patriots – February 4th, 2018". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 16, 2018.
  23. ^ Friedman, Josh (September 23, 2018). "Young Eagles running backs Corey Clement, Wendell Smallwood shine in win over Colts". Courier-Post. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
  24. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2018 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on April 5, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  25. ^ "Wild Card – Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears – January 6th, 2019". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on March 31, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  26. ^ "Divisional Round – Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints – January 13th, 2019". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on February 1, 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2019.
  27. ^ "Eagles announce roster moves as team gets to 53-player limit". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. August 31, 2019. Archived from the original on August 30, 2019. Retrieved August 31, 2019.
  28. ^ Gowton, Brandon Lee (September 1, 2019). "Wendell Smallwood is staying in the NFC East". BleedingGreenNation.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  29. ^ "Wendell Smallwood 2019 Game Log". Pro Football Reference. Archived from the original on January 28, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2020.
  30. ^ Varley, Teresa (July 28, 2020). "Steelers sign Smallwood". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  31. ^ Varley, Teresa (September 5, 2020). "Steelers make moves to get to 53-man roster". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  32. ^ Varley, Teresa (September 7, 2020). "Steelers add Smallwood to practice squad". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  33. ^ Varley, Teresa (December 2, 2020). "Steelers make roster moves ahead of kickoff". Steelers.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  34. ^ Bryan, Dave (January 18, 2021). "Steelers Let Contracts Of Five Practice Squad Players, Including QB Devlin Hodges, Expire". SteelersDepot.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2023. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  35. ^ "Roster Moves: Jaguars sign RB Wendell Smallwood to practice squad". Jaguars.com. October 6, 2021. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  36. ^ "Roster Moves: Jaguars sign RB Whyte Jr., OL Hocker and WR Imatorbhebhe to practice squad". Jaguars.com. October 12, 2021. Archived from the original on May 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  37. ^ Motley, King (November 2, 2021). "Washington signs RB Wendell Smallwood to practice squad". Yardbarker. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  38. ^ "RB Wendell Smallwood arrested". ESPN.com. July 15, 2014. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  39. ^ Brown, Robin (July 15, 2014). "West Virginia's Wendell Smallwood accused of witness intimidation". USAToday.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on June 12, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  40. ^ Huguenin, Mike (July 15, 2014). "WVU's Wendell Smallwood faces charges of witness intimidation". NFL.com. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  41. ^ Taylor, Allan (July 29, 2014). "Delaware charges dropped against WVU's Smallwood". WVMetroNews.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  42. ^ O'Sullivan, Sean (July 29, 2014). "Witness intimidation charges against West Virginia RB Wendell Smallwood dropped after securing murder plea against gunman". USAToday.com. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  43. ^ Radcliff, John (July 29, 2014). "Charges Against WVU Running Back Wendell Smallwood Dropped". SmokingMusket.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  44. ^ Hinnen, Jerry (July 29, 2014). "Charges against West Virginia RB Wendell Smallwood dropped". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on September 19, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  45. ^ https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/wendell-smallwood-covid-tax-fraud/
  46. ^ https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2024/11/21/former-eagles-running-back-wendell-smallwood-jr-wilmington-native-charged-with-covid-fraud/76459248007/
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