Jim Smith (wide receiver)
No. 86 | |||||||||||
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Position: | punt returner | ||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||
Born: | Harvey, Illinois, U.S. | July 20, 1955||||||||||
Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||
Weight: | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||
High school: | Dwight D. Eisenhower (Blue Island, Illinois) | ||||||||||
College: | Michigan | ||||||||||
NFL draft: | 1977 / Round: 3 / Pick: 75 | ||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||
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Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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James Arthur Smith (born July 20, 1955) is a former American football player. He played college football for the University of Michigan from 1974 to 1976. He also played wide receiver for six seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1977 to 1982 before starring on the Birmingham Stallions of the rival United States Football League (USFL). After the USFL's demise, Smith played a final season for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1985.
Early years
Smith grew up in Robbins, Illinois, and attended Dwight D. Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Illinois, where he earned All-Conference and All-State honors. In his senior year, he led the Eisenhower Cardinals to the South Suburban Conference title.
University of Michigan
Smith was a flanker and wingback for the University of Michigan from 1974 to 1976. In three years at Michigan, he caught 73 passes for 1,687 yards (23.1 yards per reception) and 14 touchdowns. He also returned 51 punts for 525 yards, an average of 10.3 yards per return. He also ran with the ball 56 times for 394 yards, an average of 7.0 yards per carry.[1] On November 8, 1975, in a victory over Purdue, Smith had a career-high 184 receiving yards on five catches, including an 83-yard touchdown that set a record as the longest pass completion in Michigan history.[2][3] He was selected as a consensus first-team wide receiver on the 1976 College Football All-America Team.[4]
Professional football
Smith was selected by the
In April 1983, Smith signed a three-year contract to play for the
See also
- Lists of Michigan Wolverines football receiving leaders
References
- ^ "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on 2007-11-12.
- ^ "Michigan Blanks Purdue As Leach Goes To The Air". Toledo Blade. November 10, 1975.
- ^ "Michigan blazes to victory; Leach throws for 218 yards". The Michigan Daily. November 9, 1975.
- ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. p. 6. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^ "1977 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-02-25.
- ^ a b c "Jim Smith". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ a b "Steelers lose Jim Smith to USFL". Beaver County Times. April 6, 1983.
- ^ "USFL Awards - USFL (United States Football League)".
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference