Steve Smith (running back)
Encyclopedia
Steven Anthony Smith is a former professional American football
running back
, playing 9 seasons in the National Football League
with the Oakland Raiders
and Seattle Seahawks
. He was a team captain
on Penn State
's 1986 National Championship team.
Smith was a third-round draft choice of the Raiders in the 1987 NFL Draft
. Converted to fullback
, Smith blocked for Raiders star running backs Bo Jackson
and Marcus Allen
. He then spent 2 seasons with Seattle until a back injury ended his career. Although primarily a blocker, he finished his career with 1627 rushing yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
In 1995, Smith won the inaugural Madden Bowl, a tournament during Super Bowl
weekend in which current and former NFL players compete at the Madden NFL
video game.
, Chie Aguilar-Hiroto from Cypress, CA in December 1989. The couple have two children, Dante (July 1990) and Jazmin (Sept 1991) and live in Richardson, Texas
. Smith has been afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease
since July 2002. He cannot speak because of a ventilator and receives his food through a feeding tube
. He communicates via a state of the art computer system donated by MDS, reported his wife. Former teammates, including former Nittany Lions D. J. Dozier
and Shane Conlan
, have rallied to raise money for Smith's medical bills.
Smith was the focus of an August 17, 2010, episode of HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
exploring how toxic proteins that form after brain trauma may cause Lou Gehrig's disease.
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...
, playing 9 seasons 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...
with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and 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...
. He was a team captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
on Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
's 1986 National Championship team.
Smith was a third-round draft choice of the Raiders in the 1987 NFL Draft
1987 NFL Draft
The 1987 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 28–29, 1987...
. Converted to fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
, Smith blocked for Raiders star running backs Bo Jackson
Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward "Bo" Jackson is a former American baseball and football player. He was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985....
and Marcus Allen
Marcus Allen
Marcus LeMarr Allen is a former American football player and, until recently, was affiliated with CBS as a game analyst. As a professional, Allen ran for 12,243 yards and caught 587 passes for 5,412 yards during his career for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Chiefs from 1982 to 1997...
. He then spent 2 seasons with Seattle until a back injury ended his career. Although primarily a blocker, he finished his career with 1627 rushing yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
In 1995, Smith won the inaugural Madden Bowl, a tournament during 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...
weekend in which current and former NFL players compete at the Madden NFL
Madden NFL
Madden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
video game.
After football
Smith married former RaideretteOakland Raiderettes
The Oakland Raiderettes are the cheerleading squad for the Oakland Raiders professional American football team. They were established in 1961 as the Oakland Raiderettes. When the Raiders moved to Los Angeles in 1982, the cheerleading squad became known as the Los Angeles Raiderettes...
, Chie Aguilar-Hiroto from Cypress, CA in December 1989. The couple have two children, Dante (July 1990) and Jazmin (Sept 1991) and live in Richardson, Texas
Richardson, Texas
Richardson is a city in Dallas and Collin Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 99,223. In 2011 the population was estimated to be 107,684. Richardson is an affluent inner suburb of Dallas and home of the Telecom Corridor with a high...
. Smith has been afflicted with Lou Gehrig's disease
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a form of motor neuron disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input...
since July 2002. He cannot speak because of a ventilator and receives his food through a feeding tube
Feeding tube
A feeding tube is a medical device used to provide nutrition to patients who cannot obtain nutrition by swallowing. The state of being fed by a feeding tube is called gavage, enteral feeding or tube feeding...
. He communicates via a state of the art computer system donated by MDS, reported his wife. Former teammates, including former Nittany Lions D. J. Dozier
D. J. Dozier
William Henry "D.J." Dozier Jr. is a retired American National Football League running back and Major League Baseball outfielder. He played five seasons with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions from 1987 to 1991, and played one season with the MLB's New York Mets in 1992...
and Shane Conlan
Shane Conlan
Shane Patrick Conlan is a former professional American football player. He played college football at Penn State University, where he won two national championships...
, have rallied to raise money for Smith's medical bills.
Smith was the focus of an August 17, 2010, episode of HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel
Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel is a monthly sports newsmagazine on HBO that debuted on April 2, 1995. The show was "spawned by the fact that sports have changed dramatically, that it's no longer just fun and games, and that what happens off the field, beyond the scores, is worthy of some serious...
exploring how toxic proteins that form after brain trauma may cause Lou Gehrig's disease.
External links
- "Commitment to Acceptance", Paul Turse, raiderdrive.com
- Former Raider With ALS Wants To Help Others, The Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning NewsThe Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
, July 19, 2003 - Former Raider fullback Smith battles illness, Genaro C. Armas, The Associated Press, December 29, 2006
- "Show of strength: Doctors told Steve Smith he was dying of ALS. He is now convinced that is not true", Frank Bodani, York Daily RecordYork Daily RecordThe York Daily Record/York Sunday News is a morning newspaper that serves York, Pennsylvania.The paper, printed in a broadsheet format, is published seven days a week...
, July 11, 2004. - "Former PSU fullback Steve Smith still has strength to fight", Frank Bodani, York Daily RecordYork Daily RecordThe York Daily Record/York Sunday News is a morning newspaper that serves York, Pennsylvania.The paper, printed in a broadsheet format, is published seven days a week...
, July 15, 2010.