Eastern Washington University football player Anthany Smith will continue the legacy of wearing the No. 4 jersey for the Eagles, a tribute that has existed for more than 10 years.
 
Since the 2008 season when senior Jason Belford had the number, the coaching staff has selected a leader on defense to wear the jersey. It symbolizes the defensive player who most embodies the characteristics of defense at Eastern: grit, toughness, effort, leadership and academic success.
 
Smith is a senior from Everett, Wash., where he graduated from Mariner High School in 2017. After redshirting his first season on campus, he played in all 15 games for the Eagles in 2018 and finished with 18 tackles and an interception.
 
Injuries held him to just three games in 2019, but during the unique 2020-21 Spring season he earned All-Big Sky Conference first team honors after starting all six of the games he played in. He was also selected as the team's defensive MVP. The safety finished with a team-leading 44 tackles in six games played (all as a starter). In EWU's last regular season game versus Idaho (4/10/21), Smith had 17 tackles -- equaling the 19th-most in school history. He made his starting debut earlier in the season versus the Vandals (2/27/21) and had 10 tackles, a pass broken up and a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown which was the 18th-longest in school history.
 
Smith is a management major at Eastern Washington, he has 109 career tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up in 30 games (11 as a starter).
 
A year ago, senior Calin Criner wore the No. 4 jersey and went on to win honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors.
 
Although the honor isn't necessarily given to the most talented defensive player on the team, Eastern has had 12-straight players in that number earn All-Big Sky honors, and 14 of a possible 15 since Eastern joined the league in 1987. Below is the list of players who have worn that number since EWU became a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision in 1984 (Big Sky in 1987).
 
Name – Year - Pos. - Hometown / Previous School
Hunter, Darryl - 1983-84-85-86 - DB - Tacoma, Wash. / Foss HS
%Corr, Dominic - 1986-87-88-89 - RB - Seattle, Wash. / Garfield HS
%Wright, Harold - 1990-91-92-93 - RB - Tacoma, Wash. / Lakes HS '89
Givens, Roderick - 1995 - DB - Auburn, Wash. / Auburn HS '94
#%Brightful, Lamont - 1998-99-00-01 - WR - Everett, Wash. /Mariner HS '97
%Williams, A.J. - 2002-03 - DB - Lacey, Wash. - North Thurston HS '01
%Dotson, Anthony - 2005-06-07 - DB - Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS '03
%Belford, Jason - 2005-06-07-08 - DL - Tacoma, Wash. / Lincoln HS '04
#%Sherritt, J.C. - 2007-08-09-10 - LB - Pullman, Wash. / Pullman HS '06
%Brown, Allen - 2010-11-12-13 - DB - Tacoma, Wash. / Foss HS '09
%Raynes, Todd - 2012-13-14-15 - DB - Kenmore, Wash. / Inglemoor HS '11
%Zamora, Miquiyah - 2013-14-15-16 - LB - Pasco, Wash. / Chiawana HS '12
%Havili, Albert - 2013-14-16-17 - DL - Federal Way, Wash. / Federal Way HS '13
%Fettig, Mitch - 2015-16-17-18 - DB  - Olympia Wash. / Olympia HS '14
%Ledbetter, Dylan - 2016-17-18-19 - DL - West Seattle, Wash. / O'Dea HS '15
%Criner, Calin – 2017-18-19-20-21 – DB – Boise, Idaho / Rocky Mountain HS '16
%Smith, Anthany – 2018-19-20-21-22 – DB – Everett, Wash. / Mariner HS '17
 
#All-America selection (Brightful was first team in 2001, second team in 2000 & second team in 1999 as return specialist, and honorable mention in 2001 as a wide receiver; Sherritt was the Buck Buchanan Award winner in 2010, and first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker).
 
%All-Big Sky Conference selection (Corr was first team in 1989 & second team in 1989 as return specialist; Wright was Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in 1989, and first team in 1991 & second team in 1992 as a running back; Brightful was first team in 2001 as a wide receiver and return specialist, first team in 2000 as a return specialist, second team in 2000 as a wide receiver and first team in 1999 as a return specialist; Williams was honorable mention in 2003 and 2002 as a safety; Dotson was second team in 2007 as an outside linebacker; Belford was second team in 2008 and honorable mention in 2007 as a defensive end; Sherritt was the Big Sky Defensive MVP in 2010, first team in 2009 and 2010 as a linebacker & honorable mention in 2008 as a linebacker; Brown was second team in 2012 & honorable mention in 2013 as a safety; Raynes was third team in 2015 as a safety; Zamora was first team in 2016 & honorable mention in 2014 as a linebacker; Havili was second team in 2017 as a defensive end; Fettig was third team in 2018 & 2017 & honorable mention in 2016 as a safety; Ledbetter was honorable mention in 2018 and 2019 as a defensive tackle; Criner was honorable mention in 2021 as a safety; Smith was first team in 2020-21 as a safety).
 
More on Anthany Smith:
 
Career: Smith has 109 career tackles, two interceptions and four passes broken up in 30 games (11 as a starter). Smith played in just three games in 2019 before being lost for the season with an injury, and he was limited to six in the 2021 season.

2021: Smith played in six games for the Eagles (five starts), missing the first half of the season due to injury. He racked up 38 tackles (one for loss) and a forced fumble. His season-high of 11 tackles came against Montana State on 11/6/21, where one was for a loss of two yards. Against Portland State on 11/20/21, Smith totaled seven tackles (all solo) and forced a fumble midway through the third quarter of a tied game. The fumble was recovered by Ty Graham, and the Eagle offense used their next possession to reclaim the lead. He had five tackles in an FCS Playoff victory over Northern Iowa in which the Eastern defense only allowed one touchdown.

2020-21: Smith earned All-Big Sky Conference first team honors after starting all six of the games he played as a safety. Was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Academic team. He was also selected as the team's defensive MVP. He finished with a team-leading 44 tackles in six games played (all as a starter). In EWU's last regular season game versus Idaho (4/10/21), Smith had 17 tackles -- equaling the 19th-most in school history. He made his starting debut earlier in the season versus the Vandals (2/27/21) and had 10 tackles, a pass broken up and a 71-yard interception return for a touchdown which was the 18th-longest in school history. He had the first interception return for a touchdown for EWU since Nzuzi Webster had a 48-yard return versus UC Davis on Nov. 10, 2018. Smith also had an interception and four tackles versus Idaho State (3/13/21), and six stops against Northern Arizona (3/6/21). His other pass broken up came versus Cal Poly (3/27/21).

2019: He played EWU's first three games before getting injured at Jacksonville State (9/14/19) and missing the remainder of the season. Smith had nine tackles in those three games, including a high of five versus Lindenwood (9/7/19). He was EWU's special teams player of the week against Lindenwood (9/7/19).

2018: Played in all 15 games for the Eagles and finished with 18 tackles. He had a season-high five versus UC Davis (12/8/18) in the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. Smith had an interception in the first meeting with UCD (11/10/18), and completed a pass for 30 yards in the next game versus Portland State (11/16/18).

2017: Redshirted.

HS: Graduated from Mariner HS in 2017. Lettered three years in football, and also competed nationally for FSP (Ford Sports) in 7-on-7 football. His former EWU teammate Curtis Billen ('14) also graduated from Mariner.

Personal: Management major at EWU with a 3.27 grade point average through spring quarter 2021. Born 9/7/98 in Seattle, Wash. Parents are James Smith and Zaneta Reid.