Tim Smith is a simple guy – and not just in name. The defensive tackle is going to "keep it a buck," he says, in that he'll be honest and straightforward with what he says and does.
So when he says he's incredibly appreciative and excited to be selected by the Colts in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he's telling the truth. When he says it was a "real subtle moment," though, and he wasn't overly emotional, he's also telling the truth.
"I didn't do too much," Smith said Saturday. "I'm one of those guys, I don't believe it until I see it."
Smith already had strong relationships with some of the Colts staff; he met and played under a couple Colts coaches at the 2025 Senior Bowl, and he visited Indiana Farm Bureau Football Center for a private visit a few weeks before the draft.
"It was exciting to actually get a call from some guys you've built that relationship with," Smith said. "That's a different phase when you get to see somebody grind and work and sweat, you know. That's a different relationship you build."
Smith was a four-star recruit in high school and the eighth-ranked defensive tackle in the 2020 class; he saw offers roll in from most major football powerhouses. He committed to Alabama, and Nick Saban, in 2019 and honored that commitment for the next five years. The 6-foot-4, 306 pound Smith played in 64 games (32 starts) and totaled 124 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He played under Saban for four years, and in his final year with the Crimson Tide, was able to see another coaching style as Kalen DeBoer took over.
"That was part of the reason why I did stay and return for my fifth year, get another coaching style under my belt," Smith said. "Add some more to my arsenal, who I am as a person as well, just preparing me for whatever I'm faced with or have to handle in the NFL at the next level."
Smith said he believes he has an advantage over other rookies because of his experience playing at Alabama; he credits those five years for shaping him into the person he is today.
"It really just prepared me for life, football, anything," Smith said. "Mainly to be disciplined. Be who you are, understand what you have to do. Playing at Alabama prepares you for the NFL properly, like whatever aspect you can think of. Whether it's on the field, off the field, how to carry yourself, how to speak to others, how to be on time, how to be a leader, how to be a great man in general."
