Upper Iowa University Athletics Hall of Fame
Chris Smith is being inducted into the Upper Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame as an athlete. Smith graduated from Upper Iowa in 2015 with a degree in exercise and sports studies major with an exercise science emphasis. The Brown Deer, Wis. native starred as a running back for the Peacock football team from 2011-14.
Smith burst onto the scene in 2011, earning both NSIC Offensive Newcomer of the Year and NSIC Football Player of the Year honors as a freshman. He went on to become a three-time All-NSIC First Team performer and a three-time All-Region selection during his record-setting career. Smith is Upper Iowa’s all-time leader in career rushing yards with 4,347, a total that also ranks second all-time in Northern Sun Conference history. He also holds the program record for career touchdowns with 45.
Despite battling injuries during his senior campaign, Smith rushed for 1,144 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 127.1 yards per game and 5.9 yards per carry. His 19 scores stand as the second-most in a single season in program history. Over just 35 career games, he left an indelible mark as one of the most prolific rushers in school and conference history.
Following graduation, Smith began a career in law enforcement and now serves as a police officer at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. He remains active in athletics, coaching youth football, baseball, and soccer. Smith and his wife, Addi, have been married for nine years and are the proud parents of a son, Braxton, and two daughters, Bayler and Bowie.
