Smith Named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Texas A&M’s Ainias Smith was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week Monday after scoring the second special teams touchdown of his career and notching career-best numbers in punt return and all-purpose yards in A&M’s 34-22 win over Arkansas.

Smith returned a punt 82 yards to the house in the fourth quarter to lengthen the Aggie lead and eventually total a career-high 131 punt return yards and 202 all-purpose yards. This marked the second special teams touchdown of his career after taking a punt 95 yards to the end zone in 2021 against South Carolina.

The active leader in career punt return yards among FBS schools, Smith ranks seventh all-time at A&M with 768 yards on 73 returns. He has also been climbing A&M’s career all-purpose yards list, jumping to 14th with 3,384 yards to-date. The Missouri City, Texas, native has racked up 1,955 receiving yards and 389 rushing yards to go with his 768 punt return and 272 kick return yards.

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