Harrison Smith

Smith is the son of Steven and Susan Smith. His cousin is actress Elaine Hendrix, known for her role in the 1998 film The Parent Trap.

Smith attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned an undergraduate degree in management-entrepreneurship from the Mendoza College of Business before pursuing graduate coursework during his final collegiate season.

Smith attended Knoxville Catholic High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, where he competed in football, basketball, and track and field. During his senior football season in 2006, he gained 1,340 rushing yards with 19 touchdowns on offense while adding 61 tackles and two interceptions on defense, earning recognition as Tennessee's Gatorade Football Player of the Year. In track and field, he won state titles in both the decathlon and the high jump in 2007.

He enrolled at the University of Notre Dame, where he spent five seasons with the Fighting Irish football team. After redshirting in 2007, Smith split time between linebacker and strong safety throughout his collegiate career. In 2010, he recorded 93 tackles and seven interceptions, including a three-interception performance in the first half of the Sun Bowl against Miami. Serving as team captain in 2011, he started all 13 games and concluded his Notre Dame career with over 200 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 18 pass breakups.

The Minnesota Vikings selected Smith in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft with the 29th overall pick after trading up to acquire the selection. He earned the starting free safety role as a rookie, recording 104 combined tackles, three interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns, which earned him a place on the PFWA All-Rookie Team. Over the following seasons, he emerged as a central playmaker in the Vikings' defense under head coach Mike Zimmer.

In 2015, Smith earned his first career Pro Bowl selection after recording 66 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and returning an interception for a touchdown against the New York Giants, setting a franchise record with four career pick-sixes. His 2017 campaign marked one of the finest seasons of his career, earning first-team All-Pro honors and his third consecutive Pro Bowl nod while leading a dominant Minnesota defense with five interceptions and 78 total tackles.

Smith continued to anchor the secondary in subsequent seasons, securing additional Pro Bowl selections in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Across his 14 seasons with the franchise, he recorded 39 career interceptions, 21.5 sacks, and more than 1,100 combined tackles before his release in March 2026.