Harrison Smith to be enshrined in hometown Hall of Fame

Since being drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, safety Harrison Smith has been one of the cornerstones of the Vikings’ defense. . .the cornerstone, in my opinion. . .and has developed into the best safeties in the National Football League. Recently, we found out that the city where it all started for Smith will be honoring him early next month.

In this article from the Knoxville News, we learn that Smith is going to be inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame. Smith attended Knoxville Catholic High School before embarking on his college career at Notre Dame.

Smith was also named the Chad Pennington Professional Athlete of the Year. The award is named after the former New York Jets quarterback, who also grew up in Knoxville and is someone that Smith looked up to when attending camps as a youth in the area.

“It’s a great honor,” Smith said. “But for it to be the Chad Pennington Award — that was a guy that I grew up wanting to be like. I think he embodies everything that is great about being a competitor and being a great person off the field. He is that guy.”

Smith was holding his own football camp this past week, as kids from kindergarten to the eighth grade were educated on the fundamentals of football.

The Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame will be having their induction ceremony on 7 August, just a few days before the Vikings’ preseason opener in Denver against the Broncos.

Congratulations to Harrison Smith on his induction into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.