Akili Smith Madden Career 2000-2003 - Peak 78 OVR

Akili Smith was born on August 21, 1975, in San Diego, California. He spent two years at Grossmont College before transferring to Oregon, where he threw 32 touchdown passes in 1998 and was named Pac-10 Co-Offensive Player of the Year. The Cincinnati Bengals took him third overall in the 1999 draft and signed him to a seven-year contract on August 24 after a holdout.

He won his first NFL start on October 10, 1999, throwing a two-yard touchdown to Carl Pickens with five seconds left in an 18-17 win at Cleveland. Madden NFL 2000 carried a calculated 78 overall for that rookie season. He became the full-time starter in 2000, and Madden NFL 2001 listed him at 85, the highest figure of his career; he went 2-9 in 11 starts and was benched after a 48-28 loss to Pittsburgh in Week 13.

Jon Kitna arrived in 2001, and Smith started one game that season and one in 2002, with Madden NFL 02 listing him at 66 and Madden NFL 03 at 62. Cincinnati released him on May 31, 2003. He went 3-14 as a starter and finished with 215 completions in 461 attempts for 2,212 yards, five touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He later started four games for the Frankfurt Galaxy of NFL Europe and signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL in April 2007.