Jim Smith (American football)
Encyclopedia
Jim Smith is a former professional American football
player who played wide receiver
for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers
of the National Football League
before starring on the Birmingham Stallions
of the rival United States Football League
. Smith would play a final season in the NFL playing for the Los Angeles Raiders.
Smith was a standout flanker
/wingback
for the University of Michigan
during the mid-1970s. A versatile, all-around threat, he averaged more than 7-yards running, more than 10 yards on punt returns, more than 20 yards on pass receptions and more than 17 yards on kickoff returns. In all, he gained 2,890 yards during his career. His gained 184 yards on pass receptions against Purdue
-- at the time the second highest yardage in Michigan history. He received All Conference honors in the Big Ten.
With the Steelers, Smith was the third WR behind a pair of Hall of Famers, Lynn Swann
and John Stallworth
. In the USFL, Smith was a dominant #1 receiver, leading the Stallions in receptions all 3 years. In 1983 made 51 catches for 756 yards and 3 scores. In 1984 he caught 89 balls for league-high 1,481 yards and 8 touchdowns in 1984. The leagues' final season, 1985, was Smith's best year as a pro. Smith would finish third in the league with 87 catches for 1,322 yards and lead all receivers with an astounding 20 TD receptions. He would make both the 1985 USFL all-League team and The Sporting News's 1985 USFL All-Star Team.
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 who played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for six seasons for 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...
of 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...
before starring on the Birmingham Stallions
Birmingham Stallions
The Birmingham Stallions were a franchise in the United States Football League, an attempt to establish a second professional league of American football in the United States in competition with the National Football League. They played their home games at Birmingham, Alabama's Legion Field...
of the rival United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
. Smith would play a final season in the NFL playing for the Los Angeles Raiders.
Smith was a standout flanker
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
/wingback
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
for the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
during the mid-1970s. A versatile, all-around threat, he averaged more than 7-yards running, more than 10 yards on punt returns, more than 20 yards on pass receptions and more than 17 yards on kickoff returns. In all, he gained 2,890 yards during his career. His gained 184 yards on pass receptions against Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
-- at the time the second highest yardage in Michigan history. He received All Conference honors in the Big Ten.
With the Steelers, Smith was the third WR behind a pair of Hall of Famers, Lynn Swann
Lynn Swann
-Collegiate:Swann attended the University of Southern California, where he was an All-American on the Trojans football team. He played under legendary coach John McKay, including the 1972 undefeated and national championship season. McKay said of Swann, "He has speed, soft hands, and grace." He...
and John Stallworth
John Stallworth
Johnny Lee Stallworth is a former American football wide receiver who played fourteen seasons in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at Alabama A&M, and was the Steelers' fourth-round draft pick in 1974. Stallworth played in six AFC championships,...
. In the USFL, Smith was a dominant #1 receiver, leading the Stallions in receptions all 3 years. In 1983 made 51 catches for 756 yards and 3 scores. In 1984 he caught 89 balls for league-high 1,481 yards and 8 touchdowns in 1984. The leagues' final season, 1985, was Smith's best year as a pro. Smith would finish third in the league with 87 catches for 1,322 yards and lead all receivers with an astounding 20 TD receptions. He would make both the 1985 USFL all-League team and The Sporting News's 1985 USFL All-Star Team.
See also
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders