Local products Tykee Smith and MarShawn Lloyd savoring Senior Bowl experience

MOBILE, Ala. — Georgia defensive back Tykee Smith wears his love for his native Philadelphia on his sleeve.

The 22-year-old Bulldog has a tattoo depicting the LOVE sculpture on his left arm as an ode to his Philly roots. It was visible just below the sleeve of his Senior Bowl practice jersey following Tuesday’s practice. Smith was a two-time captain at Imhotep Charter and a 2017 All-Public League first-team selection who helped the team reach the state championship game in 2018 as a senior.

“Definitely love the city and what they did for me,” Smith said. “Being from there kind of put that chip on my shoulder, because most people there don’t get the opportunity. So for me to get an opportunity, just trying to represent for the ones that didn’t.”

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That opportunity led him to a three-year career at Georgia after using his first two years of eligibility at West Virginia. However, in 2021, his first season at Georgia was derailed when he suffered a torn ACL in an October practice, sidelining him for the rest of the year.

When Smith reflects on that hardship in the middle of his collegiate career, he focuses on the benefits that he derived from his time away from the field.

“During that process, definitely learned patience,” Smith said. “Gave me a chance to sit down, kind of learn the defense. Learn multiple positions. So I knew ‘star’ safety. I played nickel linebacker. And then just being able to line me up at different positions and allow me to be successful, put me in a position to be successful.”

Smith initially cultivated that sense of versatility in his game at West Virginia, playing the “spear” safety position as a hybrid nickel cornerback and safety that required him to line up in the slot and in the box. He eventually overcame his injury in his first year at Georgia, assuming a starting role at the “star” position in 2023, which is another hybrid position that involves the responsibilities of a weak-side linebacker and a nickel cornerback.

At 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, Smith may not be the biggest safety, but he approaches the game with a physical mentality that pays dividends when stopping the run. In 14 games total (12 starts), Smith led the Bulldogs with 70 tackles, including a team-high 8½ tackles for losses. He finished the season with a team-high four interceptions, plus two pass breakups.

“I already knew I had the ability,” Smith said of his emergence as a starter. “The biggest thing was just getting confidence back in my knee and being able to showcase to fans week in, week out and being able to play for my team.”

In Senior Bowl practices with the American team, Smith took reps in 11-on-11 drills at nickel corner and at safety. As the week continued, Smith said he was looking to show the NFL scouts and team personnel in attendance that he’s capable of playing a variety of positions, especially high safety, a role that he’s looking to transition to on a full-time basis.

And In Saturday’s Senior Bowl, he was awarded the American team MVP after collecting three pass breakups.

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Smith, who grew up an Eagles fan, has a number of connections to the organization. His agency, Klutch Sports, also represents franchise quarterback Jalen Hurts. Smith had established a rapport with Nicole Lynn, the president of football at Klutch Sports, dating back to his time at West Virginia.

“Me and her had a real good bond,” Smith said. “I think she did a real good job of what she do.”

Additionally, Smith maintains relationships with several members of the Eagles’ Bulldogs contingency, including edge rusher Nolan Smith and cornerback Kelee Ringo. When the members of the 2023 draft class out of Georgia visited Philly last year shortly after they joined the team, Tykee tagged along to grab cheesesteaks.

He has also consulted with Nolan Smith, who is from Savannah, Ga., on how to handle the snow. Two weeks ago when a snowstorm hit the area, Nolan called him and told him he needed to shovel his driveway. Tykee shared advice with him about proper footwear.

“I told him that them Uggs that he got, they ain’t gonna be enough,” he said. “So you got to get some boots. Yeah, he got to get some different type ... he had Uggs. Them jawns wasn’t enough.”

Tykee Smith was one of six Bulldogs in attendance at the Senior Bow.

“I think for all of us, ‘The G’ did a lot for us in our career,” he said. “So just being able to represent it one more time means a lot.”

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Southern California running back MarShawn Lloyd, who hails from Wilmington, tries to keep his NFL allegiance close to the vest.

Asked if he was an Eagles fan while growing up in the Philadelphia area after Senior Bowl practice on Tuesday, Lloyd played it cool.

“Yes,” Lloyd answered. “Well, I was, because I mean, I’m going to the league now. So I’ve got to keep that on the low.”

While Lloyd is approaching his next stop in his football journey with an open mind, he didn’t hide his admiration for a litany of players who suited up for the Eagles through his formative years. The 23-year-old running back reminisced about the “old-school years” with Donovan McNabb at quarterback and players like running back LeSean McCoy and wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin filling the team’s ranks.

Lloyd has a particular soft spot for running back Brian Westbrook. They attended the same high school, DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Md., which was about a two-hour drive from Lloyd’s home in Wilmington. Every day, his mother, Na-Shawn, would drive her son to school, where he was a captain of the football team.

Although Lloyd may look back fondly on the Eagles of the 2000s and 2010s, he admires the skill set of a key contributor to the 2023 Eagles offense, running back D’Andre Swift.

“Just getting in and out of his cuts and how quick gets in and out of his cuts,” Lloyd said. “His quickness, his agility and just being explosive.”

Lloyd played for South Carolina for two seasons before transferring to USC in 2023. In 11 games, the 5-9, 210-pound Lloyd racked up a team-high 845 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 116 carries. He also flaunted his talents in the passing game, collecting 13 receptions for 232 yards.

“Just the way of being versatile,” Lloyd said. “Showing everyone what I can do, in the pass game and in the run game.”