Roquan Smith
A sideline-to-sideline defensive missile whose intelligence and ferocious tackling transformed the Baltimore Ravens defense into the NFL's most feared unit.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American football player·Birthday: April 8·Generation Z
Biography
Roquan Smith plays linebacker with a rare combination of old-school violence and new-age speed. Growing up in rural Georgia, he was a high school phenomenon whose talents took him to the University of Georgia. There, he became the heart of a formidable defense, winning the Butkus Award as the nation's top linebacker. Drafted by the Chicago Bears, he immediately proved himself as a tackling machine. But his career found its ultimate expression after a mid-season trade to the Baltimore Ravens in 2022. In Baltimore, Smith became the defensive quarterback and emotional engine for a unit that dominated the league. His ability to diagnose plays, cover vast ground, and deliver punishing hits not only earned him All-Pro honors but also established him as the definitive tone-setter for a new generation of defensive football.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Roquan was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roquan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Roquan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Butkus Award in 2017 as the best linebacker in college football while at the University of Georgia.
- Named a First-Team All-Pro in 2023 as a key leader of the NFL's top-ranked defense with the Baltimore Ravens.
- Led the NFL in total tackles during the 2020 season with the Chicago Bears.
- Was selected eighth overall by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Did You Know?
He was the first player from the University of Georgia to ever win the Butkus Award.
In high school, he played multiple positions including quarterback, wide receiver, and safety.
His trade from the Chicago Bears to the Baltimore Ravens in 2022 was a major mid-season NFL storyline.
“I just try to play the game the right way, play fast, play physical, and just be a great teammate.”
