Lamar Smith (NFL)
Encyclopedia
Lamar Hunter Smith is a former professional American football
running back
. He played in the NFL
for the Seattle Seahawks
, Miami Dolphins
, New Orleans Saints
and Carolina Panthers
from 1994 to 2003. He held the record for most carries in a playoff game with forty carries for a gain of 209 yards.
Smith attended South Side High School
in Fort Wayne. After high school, he attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
and then the University of Houston
on scholarship
for his final two years. He was selected in the third round with the 73rd overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks
in the 1994 NFL Draft
.
Smith was charged with vehicular assault in 1994; he was drinking and driving prior to a car wreck that left teammate Mike Frier
paralyzed from the neck down. He pleaded guilty to vehicular assault in 1996, and served 60 days in a work-release program. He was also ordered to give 35 to 50 percent of his N.F.L. earnings to Frier over a seven-year period. He was arrested on a second DUI charge in 2002 while playing for the Panthers.
In 2007, he participated in a coaching internship program with NFL Europe
.
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...
running back
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...
. He played in the NFL
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...
for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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 ....
and Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
from 1994 to 2003. He held the record for most carries in a playoff game with forty carries for a gain of 209 yards.
Smith attended South Side High School
South Side High School (Fort Wayne, Indiana)
South Side High School is a Fort Wayne Community Schools high school situated in south-central Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana.-History:On September 11, 1922, South Side High School opened its doors to students for the first time...
in Fort Wayne. After high school, he attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College
Located in the small former mining town of Miami, Oklahoma, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, commonly referred to as NEO, is a two-year community college with programs in Agriculture, Livestock Judging, Nursing, Physical Therapist Assistant, Theatre, Social Science, and a variety of other...
and then the University of Houston
University of Houston
The University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
on scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
for his final two years. He was selected in the third round with the 73rd overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
.
Smith was charged with vehicular assault in 1994; he was drinking and driving prior to a car wreck that left teammate Mike Frier
Mike Frier
Michael Frier is a former American football defensive end/defensive tackle in the National Football League...
paralyzed from the neck down. He pleaded guilty to vehicular assault in 1996, and served 60 days in a work-release program. He was also ordered to give 35 to 50 percent of his N.F.L. earnings to Frier over a seven-year period. He was arrested on a second DUI charge in 2002 while playing for the Panthers.
In 2007, he participated in a coaching internship program with 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...
.