Former North Johnston High standout and East Carolina standout Willie Smith is seeing extended action at left tackle today for the Washington Redskins in their contest against the New England Patriots.

Smith was a free agent signee of the Redskins after the lockout and has spent much of the season as a game day inactive.

But the suspension of left tackle Trent Williams and the injury of regular starting right tackle Jammal Brown in pregame warm ups today thrust Smith into action.

Smith had been working a lot at left tackle during practice this week.

North Johnston High School graduate Willie Smith is officially a Washington Redskin. Smith, a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive tackle made the Redskins' final roster cut on Saturday, earning a spot on the team's active 53-man roster.

Willie Smith is set to begin his quest for an NFL roster spot Friday when the Washington Redskins open training camp. The former North Johnston High School and East Carolina football player signed a free agent rookie contract with the Redskins on Tuesday.

As first reported by ESPN 980 AM in Washington D.C., the Washington Redskins will apparently sign former North Johnston High School multi-sport athlete and former East Carolina left tackle Willie Smith to a free agent contract. Smith was a two-year starter for the Pirates after transitioning from the defensive line to the offensive line during his sophomore season.

We hope to catch up with Willie sometime today. More to come.

Former North Johnston High School standout Willie Smith was one of just more than 300 NFL prospects to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine over the weekend in Indianapolis. Smith is a 6-foot-5, 310-pound offensive lineman who played at East Carolina.
He placed in the top-10 at the combine among offensive linemen in both the vertical jump (30 1/2 inches) and the broad jump (8 feet, 10 inches), showing off some of the athleticism that helped him lead North Johnston to a regional championship in football and a state championship game in basketball during his playing days as a Panther.
The 2011 NFL Draft will be held April 28-30.