Braden Smith

Early life

A native of Olathe, Kansas, Smith attended Olathe South High School, where he was a two-way lineman on the football varsity. Smith was credited with 82 pancake blocks on offense, 59 tackles on defense in his senior season.

Regarded as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Smith was ranked as the No. 9 offensive guard prospect in the class of 2014. He had offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and Notre Dame, and decided to commit to Auburn University on May 27, 2014.

College career

Smith played as a freshman, appearing in 12 games. In his sophomore season at Auburn, he played right guard and was named Second-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC). Smith received All-America honors in both 2016 and 2017 as well as received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the best blocker in the SEC in 2017. He finished his collegiate career with 41 starts in four seasons.

Personal life

In 2024, Smith was diagnosed with a type of obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) called religious scrupulosity. The disorder caused him to miss playing in the final five games of the 2024 NFL season and nearly drove him to retirement. He traveled to Mexico to be treated with ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT, as the use of these psychedelic substances is banned in the United States, before returning home and beginning therapy. He reported improvement in his condition after the treatment.

Smith is Christian. He is married; he and his wife have a son.