Top 5 NFL players from Fort Smith

story by Aric Mitchell
amitchell@thecitywire.com

Let’s be clear on the title here. These are the famous AND infamous faces from Fort Smith, who made a splash in the NFL, for better or worse.

All these guys deserve a hall of fame slot in our city’s memory. Some made the most of their careers and opportunities. Some did not. But all had talent and all played a role in putting us on the map. So without further ado, here are the Top 5 (In)Famous NFL Players in Fort Smith History:

5. Matt Jones
School: Fort Smith Northside

Best to start with the disappointment. Razorback fans had high hopes when their explosive quarterback was taken in Round 1 of the 2005 NFL Draft, but the pick was a risky one. The Jaguars saw Jones as a wide receiver instead of a quarterback (the position he’d played his entire career).

They quickly put him to work, and it seemed to be a good decision. In his first season, Jones caught 36 for 432 yards. In his second, he snagged 41 for 643 yards, adding four touchdown grabs along the way. In 2007, the other teams seemed to have him figured out. Contributions dropped drastically with just 24 receptions for 317 yards. But then, his performance took off again in 2008 with his best yet—761 yards in just 12 games.

Behind the scenes, Jones had a problem. He missed the last four games of the season with a suspension that resulted from violating the NFL’s policy for substance abuse. Two additional arrests in 2009 saw him getting booted off the team.

A man without a country, Jones turned up again in February 2010, signing a $700,000, 1-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. However, he did not make the final roster. He received an invite from the Washington Redskins to try out in November 2010, but decided instead to retire.

4. Jim Files
School: Fort Smith Southside

The Paris, Ark., native Jim Files caught the attention of the Oklahoma Sooners with his career at Fort Smith Southside, which spanned from the school’s opening until 1966. That’s when he graduated and served as a key defensive component for the Sooners until getting drafted by the New York Giants in 1970.

Files was more widely known as a quarterback to Rebel fans during the 1966 season, but he received the most fame as an outside and middle linebacker for the Giants. During that time, he picked off 5 passes, returned them for a total of 105 yards, and scored one touchdown. His teams finished at 23-32-1 with only one winning record—9-5 in Files’ first season.

3. Brett Goode
School: Fort Smith Northside

Six-feet-one-inch No. 61 Brett Goode of the Green Bay Packers began his career as a Grizzly snapping the ball to another famous person on this list — Matt Jones. While Jones has grabbed most of the attention since their NFL careers began, we’re pretty sure you’d rather be Goode than his former quarterback.

Goode may not have been drafted as Jones was accepting the huge contract and the first round pick from Jacksonville, but he did manage to work his way onto the 2008 Green Bay Packers squad and has since been their go-to guy for long snapping duties. With last February 2011’s victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Goode’s Super Bowl ring has given him ultimate bragging rights.

2. Ravin Caldwell
School: Fort Smith Northside

Drafted in round 5 of the 1986 NFL Draft, Caldwell’s career was a short one (1987 to 1992), but he certainly made the most of it. With the Washington Redskins, the former Northside Grizzly won two Super Bowl Championships (XXII and XXVI) and logged 79 tackles with 8.5 sacks at the linebacker position.

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Caldwell was enrolled at Northside for his entire high school career, and made the 1981 High School Football Super Team statewide. He also almost rallied the Grizzlies past Jacksonville in the state title game that season in spite of Northside operating with a third team quarterback. From there, he enjoyed a successful career at the University of Arkansas before getting called into action by the Redskins.

1. Priest Holmes
School: Marshall High School (San Antonio, Texas)

Priest Holmes may have never donned a Grizzly or Rebels uniform, but if he had, we’re pretty sure he would have experienced the same kind of success. Holmes was born in Fort Smith and lived here until the seventh grade. That’s when his family moved to San Antonio, Texas, and he turned heads at Marshall High School.

In 1997, he was accepted to the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent. The 2008 season saw Holmes racking up more than 1,000 yards and winning Super Bowl XXXV, his only professional football championship. After that, he went to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he’d find even more personal success, even though the teams weren’t that good. His first two seasons as a Chief saw him gaining more than 3,000 yards. Spinal injuries forced his retirement in 2007. At that time, he held the following franchise records:
Rush attempts (1,275)
Rushing yards (5,933)
Rushing touchdowns (76)
Total touchdowns (83)

Today, Holmes is active with youth through his Priest Holmes Foundation in San Antonio. He also is an avid chess buff.