Jackie Smith
Encyclopedia
Jackie Larue Smith is a former professional American football
player in the National Football League
. He played tight end
for the St. Louis Cardinals
and the Dallas Cowboys
from 1963 to 1978. He has career marks of 480 receptions, 7,918 yards, and 40 touchdowns. He attended Northwestern Louisiana State University, now Northwestern State University
.
An outstanding football and track competitor at Northwest Louisiana, Smith joined the Cardinals in 1963. Smith was a talented receiver, a punishing blocker, a fierce competitor and an excellent runner after he caught the ball. He even handled the Cardinals' punting chores his first three seasons.
Smith became the Cardinals' starting tight end during his 1963 rookie season and remained a fixture at that spot the rest of his tenure in St. Louis. He gained 212 yards on nine receptions against the Pittsburgh Steelers
that year.
The team's offensive co-captain, Smith had a string of 45 straight games from 1967 to 1970 with at least one reception. He played in 121 straight games, starting with his first NFL contest until a knee injury sidelined him in his ninth season in 1971.
Injuries slowed him again in 1975 and 1976 but Smith still played in 198 games. Smith played in five straight Pro Bowls, and was named All-NFL in 1967 and 1969. He had his single-season best performance in 1967 when he had 56 receptions for 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns.
After spending his entire career with the Cardinals, Smith signed with Dallas in 1978. Although the 38-year old Smith was used only as a blocking tight end in the goal line formation and did not catch a pass during the entire season, joining Dallas allowed him to make his only trip to the Super Bowl
. With his team trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers
21-14 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XIII
, Smith dropped a third down pass in the end zone from Roger Staubach
. The Cowboys ended up losing the game by four points, 35-31, and Smith retired before the start of the next season.
During his career, he caught more than 40 passes seven times.
At the time of his retirement, Smith's 7,918 receiving yards were the most ever by an NFL tight end, and would remain so until surpassed by Ozzie Newsome
's 7,980 yards in 1990.
ESPN
ranked Smith's dropped pass in the end zone #24 on their list of "100 Greatest Super Bowl Moments".
On January 29, 1994, Smith was officially voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in Canton, Ohio
. In 2001, he was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He played tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
for the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
from 1963 to 1978. He has career marks of 480 receptions, 7,918 yards, and 40 touchdowns. He attended Northwestern Louisiana State University, now Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University
Northwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
.
An outstanding football and track competitor at Northwest Louisiana, Smith joined the Cardinals in 1963. Smith was a talented receiver, a punishing blocker, a fierce competitor and an excellent runner after he caught the ball. He even handled the Cardinals' punting chores his first three seasons.
Smith became the Cardinals' starting tight end during his 1963 rookie season and remained a fixture at that spot the rest of his tenure in St. Louis. He gained 212 yards on nine receptions against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
that year.
The team's offensive co-captain, Smith had a string of 45 straight games from 1967 to 1970 with at least one reception. He played in 121 straight games, starting with his first NFL contest until a knee injury sidelined him in his ninth season in 1971.
Injuries slowed him again in 1975 and 1976 but Smith still played in 198 games. Smith played in five straight Pro Bowls, and was named All-NFL in 1967 and 1969. He had his single-season best performance in 1967 when he had 56 receptions for 1,205 yards and nine touchdowns.
After spending his entire career with the Cardinals, Smith signed with Dallas in 1978. Although the 38-year old Smith was used only as a blocking tight end in the goal line formation and did not catch a pass during the entire season, joining Dallas allowed him to make his only trip to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. With his team trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
21-14 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII
Super Bowl XIII was an American football game played on January 21, 1979 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1978 regular season...
, Smith dropped a third down pass in the end zone from Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
. The Cowboys ended up losing the game by four points, 35-31, and Smith retired before the start of the next season.
During his career, he caught more than 40 passes seven times.
At the time of his retirement, Smith's 7,918 receiving yards were the most ever by an NFL tight end, and would remain so until surpassed by Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
's 7,980 yards in 1990.
ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
ranked Smith's dropped pass in the end zone #24 on their list of "100 Greatest Super Bowl Moments".
On January 29, 1994, Smith was officially voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. In 2001, he was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame
St. Louis Walk of Fame
The St. Louis Walk of Fame honors well-known people from St. Louis, Missouri, who made contributions to culture of the United States. All inductees were either born in the Greater St. Louis area or spent their formative or creative years there...
.
External links
- Jackie Smith at the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- Jackie Smith at ESPN
- St. Louis Walk of Fame