Ed Smith (tight end)
Encyclopedia
Edward Martin Smith is a former American football
tight end
who played for the NFL's
Atlanta Falcons
, Philadelphia Eagles
, and Detroit Lions
from 1997–1999. Prior to that, Smith played baseball
in the minor league
systems of the Chicago White Sox
, Milwaukee Brewers
, Chicago Cubs
, and Cleveland Indians
. His brother is Irv Smith
, also a former NFL tight end.
Smith played football and baseball at Pemberton Township High School
in New Jersey and was drafted by the White Sox in the 7th round of the 1987 MLB Draft. He declined football scholarships to Penn State and Florida
to begin his professional baseball career out of high school, and played in the White Sox minor league system from 1987–1991. He then played for the Brewers system from 1991–1993, the Cubs system in 1994, and the Indians system in 1995. His baseball career peaked at the Triple-A level in 1995 and ended following that season at age 26. Primarily a third baseman
, Smith also played at first base and in the outfield
later in his career.
Smith then began a career in professional football, playing at tight end with the Frankfurt Galaxy
of the NFL Europe
in 1996
. He was signed to the Washington Redskins
practice squad as a free agent
in July 1996, where he remained for the rest of the season. In 1997 he was signed to the Atlanta Falcons
practice squad and was promoted to the team's active roster during the season. His first game in uniform was against a New Orleans Saints
team that included his brother, Irv. The brothers would again be on opposing teams in 1998, with Irv playing for the San Francisco 49ers
. Smith won an NFC
championship with the Falcons in 1998
. He split the 1999 NFL season
between the Philadelphia Eagles
and Detroit Lions
, and his NFL career ended following that season. Smith then played for the Birmingham Thunderbolts
of the XFL
during the league's only season in 2001.
In 2011, Smith became the host of his own sports show "EZ Sports Talk" on KXXT 1010 in Phoenix, AZ, and is the author of his autobiography "EZ Does It: The Journey of A Lifetime".
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...
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...
who played for the NFL's
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...
Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
from 1997–1999. Prior to that, Smith played baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
in the minor league
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
systems of the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, and Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
. His brother is Irv Smith
Irv Smith
Irvin Martin Smith was a former American football player who was selected by the New Orleans Saints in the 1st round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played high school football for Pemberton Township High School, a small public school located in South Jersey a few miles from Fort Dix/McGuire Air Force...
, also a former NFL tight end.
Smith played football and baseball at Pemberton Township High School
Pemberton Township High School
Pemberton Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grade from Pemberton Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Pemberton Township School District...
in New Jersey and was drafted by the White Sox in the 7th round of the 1987 MLB Draft. He declined football scholarships to Penn State and Florida
Florida Gators
The Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
to begin his professional baseball career out of high school, and played in the White Sox minor league system from 1987–1991. He then played for the Brewers system from 1991–1993, the Cubs system in 1994, and the Indians system in 1995. His baseball career peaked at the Triple-A level in 1995 and ended following that season at age 26. Primarily a third baseman
Third baseman
A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run...
, Smith also played at first base and in the outfield
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
later in his career.
Smith then began a career in professional football, playing at tight end with the Frankfurt Galaxy
Frankfurt Galaxy
The Frankfurt Galaxy was a professional American football team that originally played in the World League of American Football and later in the resurrected NFL Europe. The team was based in Frankfurt, Germany and played in the Commerzbank-Arena, formerly called the Waldstadion.-History:In 1991, the...
of the NFL Europe
NFL Europe
NFL Europe was an American football league which operated in Europe from 1991 until 2007. Backed by the National Football League , the largest professional American football league in the United States, it was founded as the World League of American Football to serve as a type of spring league...
in 1996
1996 Frankfurt Galaxy season
The 1996 Frankfurt Galaxy season was the fourth season for the team in the World League of American Football.-World League Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Week 1: at Rhein Fire:-Week 2: vs London Monarchs:-Week 3: at Barcelona Dragons:...
. He was signed to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
practice squad as a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in July 1996, where he remained for the rest of the season. In 1997 he was signed to the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
practice squad and was promoted to the team's active roster during the season. His first game in uniform was against a New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
team that included his brother, Irv. The brothers would again be on opposing teams in 1998, with Irv playing for the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
. Smith won an NFC
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
championship with the Falcons in 1998
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
. He split the 1999 NFL season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
between the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, and his NFL career ended following that season. Smith then played for the Birmingham Thunderbolts
Birmingham Thunderbolts
The Birmingham Thunderbolts were a short-lived springtime American football team based in Birmingham, Alabama. This team was part of the failed XFL begun by Vince McMahon of World Wrestling Entertainment and by NBC, a major television network in the United States.-The only season:The Thunderbolts...
of the XFL
XFL
The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of WWE...
during the league's only season in 2001.
In 2011, Smith became the host of his own sports show "EZ Sports Talk" on KXXT 1010 in Phoenix, AZ, and is the author of his autobiography "EZ Does It: The Journey of A Lifetime".
External links
- Minor league baseball career statistics at Baseball-Reference
- Football career statistics at Pro-Football-Reference and The Football Database