February 5, 2025
By Adam Ruffner

After 10 seasons, 120 games, and 375 goals, Atlanta Hustle goal scoring legend Matt Smith has announced his retirement from professional ultimate frisbee. One of the quickest and most efficient offensive players ever, Smith departs with the third most goals all-time and the fifth highest plus/minus rating in UFA history. 

“Simply put, Matt is a baller, and has been for a long time,” said Atlanta Head Coach Tuba Benson-Jaja. “As a coach I appreciated the opportunity to be around a future UFA Hall of Famer. Matt didn't need much coaching from me but was a dependable and consistent force for the Hustle the last two years.  I think this is his first retirement, so we will let him enjoy it for now and see what the future holds.”

“A common name with an uncommon game,” as Evan Lepler once put it, Smith made his pro debut with the Rhode Island Rampage back in the league’s inaugural season of 2012, but cemented himself as a star in his first season with the Hustle. In 2015—following a three year hiatus from the pros—Smith scored a career-best 66 goals operating as the primary target for Dylan Tunnell. The two developed a quick chemistry that laid the foundation for Atlanta’s offensive attack and love for the longball. 

Atlanta missed the playoffs in their first season as a franchise, but qualified in 2016 in a heated South Division race. Smith’s goal production dipped slightly in his second season, but he became an even more effective distributor in the mid game and nearly doubled his assist total from the season prior. The combination of Tunnell’s fearlessness as a thrower and Smith’s ability to get open at will fueled the franchise to their first divisional title game appearance, where they were felled by the undefeated Dallas Roughnecks. The team’s success ultimately earned Tunnell the MVP that year, which then he credited to Smith and his teammates.

“Matt Smith was dominant that whole year,” Tunnell said in an interview in 2020. “And most of the reason I was successful was because I had him and other fantastic, athletic receivers to track down my sketchy hucks.”

A picture of consistency, Smith finished his Hustle career with 30 or more goals in seven of his nine seasons with the team. And other than his final game that was shortened by injury, Smith had just four starts in his other 119 games as a pro where he was held without a goal. 

Other notable career stats:

• 11th all-time in career scores (assists plus goals)

• 2nd highest player offensive efficiency rating among players with at least 65 career games played (156 players qualify)

• 4th highest completion percentage among players with a minimum of 2000 career completions (45 players qualify)

• Had fewer throwaways than games played in all 10 seasons

• Registered a goal in first 41 games as a member of the Hustle (2015-2017)

But for all of his on field accomplishments and highlight reel moments, the biggest legacy Smith will leave is as a teammate and indefatiguable ambassador of the sport. A youth coordinator with the Hustle franchise and UFA, Smith worked with schools, club organizations, parks and recreation departments, and many other institutions teaching countless frisbee clinics and academies; Smith worked as the program director for last year’s Professional Ultimate Academy, an overnight advanced skills development program and camp for high schoolers. 

“Pro ultimate was a pipe dream in college that somehow came to fruition so the chance to work directly for the league was very high on my priority list,” Smith told Lepler back in a July 2020 interview. 

Smith shared his final thoughts in the following message:

After 10 years of pro ultimate, I’m hanging the cleats up. While I still believe I’m a grade-A  bucket getter, I’m not getting any younger and the priorities in my life have shifted a good deal over the last year. With the team in good hands for the foreseeable future, it just felt like the right time to step away.

It was a hell of a run and I’m happy with my career and my place in the UFA pantheon. For those who know my story, it’s even cooler that it all worked out the way it did.

I just wanted to publicly thank all the coaches, teammates, opponents, and especially fans who made the whole experience such an incredible one. I am one of the many whose life has been positively and significantly impacted by the sport and I hope I gave back in a way that reflected that.

It’s important to me that the next generation get some of the same opportunities I did and, with that, I’m happy to announce one last fundraiser. My limited edition Signature Series disc is now available in the UFA store and I’ll be contributing all my NIL earnings to Ultimate Impact to support the great work they do there. If you enjoyed any of my highlights over the years please consider purchasing a disc to remember the good times and support a great cause. Or give a little to a cause that means something to you, the world could use more of that.

Happy tossin’