Former Utes QB Alex Smith named first inductee to Utah football's new Ring of Honor

SALT LAKE CITY — As Utah football prepares to embark on the 2024 season in a new conference, the athletic department has started a new tradition.

On Monday, Utah announced the Utah football Ring of Honor, with former Utes quarterback Alex Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft, as the school's first inductee.

The Ring of Honor, as is common with many college football and NFL teams, is often considered the highest honor reserved for players and coaches within the respective program.

"It is fitting that we permanently recognize the all-time greats of Utah football with the establishment of the Ring of Honor at Rice-Eccles Stadium, and we are excited to announce Alex Smith as our first inductee," Utah athletic director Mark Harlan said in a statement. "His record of achievements both as a Ute and in the NFL, as well as his incomparable impact beyond the field, demonstrate all of the attributes that embody the spirit and identity of Utah football."

Utah will begin adding two new members to the Ring of Honor each season, starting in 2025. All members of the Ring of Honor must be already inducted into the Crimson Club Hall of Fame, graduated or attended the university for at least three seasons.

Smith said he's "incredibly honored and humbled" to be the first member of the Ring of Honor, while noting how much the football program remains a part of his life.

"Utah football has always been and will always be a part of my family and I, and having the honor to be a permanent part of Rice-Eccles Stadium is something I will cherish for the rest of my life," Smith said in a statement. "A Utah Man Am I forever."

Smith helped lead Utah to its first undefeated season in 2004, capping off the season with a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh and helping Utah become the original "BCS busters."

In his time at Utah, Smith was named a first-team All-American and was a Heisman Trophy finalist, in addition to being named the MWC Offensive Player of the Year before being selected No. 1 overall to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2005 draft.

Smith finished his Utah career with 5,203 passing yards and 47 touchdowns, and 1,072 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He still holds the school record for single-season touchdown passes (32) and total touchdowns (42).

The former No. 1 overall pick eventually helped lead the 49ers to the Super Bowl before suffering an injury in the playoffs. Following an up-and-down eight years in San Francisco, Smith spent five seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, where he helped revive a franchise that has gone on to win multiple Super Bowl titles.

During that time, Smith helped mentor current Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who says he still sticks with the lessons Smith taught him.

"I always give this man his flowers," Mahomes told SiriusXM NFL Radio recently, "but I truly mean it. I came in as a — I wouldn't say immature, but I came in and I was just relying on my talent is what I always think about. I relied on I can make stuff happen; I can just show up and we can just play football.

"I watched how Alex worked and I was like let me just try to do some of that stuff. ... I don't know if he knows — I still do the exact same process that he was doing that first year. I'm teaching it to all the new guys and they do the same thing with me. His blueprint of how to be a successful quarterback in the NFL is what I picked up on. He gave me the advice, that's the biggest thing. I mean, some guys can be — I can't say bad words — but can be mean about helping a guy out that's coming in, a highly-drafted guy. He taught me a lot of stuff and I tried to utilize that stuff to make myself better, and it's taking off."

Smith ended his career with the Washington Commanders, where he suffered a leg injury that almost cost him his life and was documented in an ESPN E60 documentary. Eventually, Smith miraculously returned to the field and was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year in 2020 before announcing his retirement in 2021.

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