MKRob Sports

The California Golden Bears has hired former NFL and CFL quarterback Akili Smith as an administrative assistant on the coaching staff.

Coach Jeff Tedford said Saturday that Smith will work with the offensive coaches.

Smith spent the past two seasons as the quarterbacks coach at Grossmont College in San Diego. He played college ball at Oregon when Tedford was an assistant. He was the third overall pick by Cincinnati in 1999 but lasted only four years in the NFL.

After leaving the NFL, Smith signed a two-year contract with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, where he was expected to compete for the starting quarterback position with another former NFL player, Henry Burris. After an unimpressive debut in an exhibition against the Edmonton Eskimos, Smith played well in the final exhibition against the Saskatchewan Roughriders. Though listed going into the game as the third-string quarterback, he completed three touchdown passes in only one half of play, including one to former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marc Boerigter.

In his first regular season action, replacing Burris in the second quarter on July 12, Smith struggled against the Toronto Argonauts. He finished 6-of-10 for 63 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions. He also lost one fumble. He was then pulled at the end of the half.

After an unimpressive showing against the Roughriders on October 8, 2007, going 4-of-12, for 37 yards, along with the impending return of a healthy Burris, the Stampeders released Smith on October 10, 2007.