Smith to be re-elected as head of NFLPA

The NFL Players Association unanimously reaffirmed DeMaurice Smith as executive director Thursday.

Smith, 48, was elected as head of the players union in March 2009 after serving on an interim basis after the 2008 death of previous union chief Gene Upshaw.

Smith was the unanimous choice of NFL player representatives for another three-year term at the NFLPA's annual meeting in Marco Island, Fla.

According to the NFL Network, Smith will be formally re-elected Sunday.

The longtime Washington, D.C., lawyer steered the union through a bitter four-month lockout that threatened to cut short the 2011 season.

The NFLPA decided to decertify as a union and file an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL on the same day the owners announced the lockout.