Timothy LaRay Smith (born January 21, 1964) is an American former professional
football player who was a
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
and the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. He played
college football for the
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders and Lady Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University, located in Lubbock, Texas. The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders, while the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raider ...
. Smith rose to stardom after setting a rushing record in
Super Bowl XXII.
Early years
Smith attended
Hobbs High School, where he played football and basketball. He graduated with the state of New Mexico record for rushing yards (2,306 yards) and rushing touchdowns (31).
He accepted a scholarship from
Texas Tech University
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sy ...
. As a sophomore, he led the
Red Raiders in rushing with 164 carries for 711 yards. The next season, he rushed for 97 yards on 7 carries and 2 touchdowns in the season opener against the
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico (UNM; es, Universidad de Nuevo México) is a public research university in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Founded in 1889, it is the state's flagship academic institution and the largest by enrollment, with over 25,400 ...
, until he was hit after scoring his second touchdown, which resulted in a knee injury that kept him out of action for most of the year, finishing with 26 carries for 140 yards and 3 touchdowns.
As a fifth year senior, he suffered a fractured foot and ankle during an early-season practice, that sidelined him again for most of the season, posting 7 carries for 19 yards. He finished his college career after appearing in 28 games, with 292 carries for 1,313 yards and 8 touchdowns.
Professional career
Washington Redskins
Smith was selected by the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
in the fifth round (117th overall) of the
1987 NFL Draft, because of his combination of size and athletic ability. During his first season, although starter
George Rogers was limited with different injuries, Smith had only carried the ball in four games.
In the Divisional playoff game against the
Chicago Bears, Rogers wasn't playing well, so after he had only 6 carries for 13 yards, combined with an ineffective performance by his backup
Kelvin Bryant
Kelvin LeRoy Bryant (born September 26, 1960) is a former American football running back in the National Football League and the United States Football League.
High school
Bryant played two years of varsity football at Tarboro High School in Ta ...
, Smith was inserted into the game and responded with 66 yards on 16 carries, including 7 carries to run out the clock. In the NFC Championship game against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
he had 72 rushing yards on 13 carries, contributing to a narrow 17-10 win.
After his playoff performances, head coach
Joe Gibbs
Joe Jackson Gibbs (born November 25, 1940) is an American auto racing team owner and former professional football coach. In football, he was head coach for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1981 to 1992, and ...
made the decision to start Smith in the
Super Bowl, but only told this to starting quarterback
Doug Williams and a few of his assistant coaches, in order to avoid rookie Smith being overwhelmed by the pressure. Smith was told about this decision before the pregame warmups.
In
Super Bowl XXII, Smith set a
Super Bowl rushing record in his first career start, gaining 204 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns. His efforts helped lead the Redskins to a 42-10 victory over the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
. It was his only significant achievement as an
NFL player, even receiving recognition from the
NFL Films
NFL Productions, LLC, doing business as NFL Films, is the film and television production company of the National Football League. It produces commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries for and about the NFL, as well as ...
as the #2 one-shot wonder in league history. His career was plagued with injuries and suspicions of drug use.
In
1988
File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicenten ...
, he didn't participate in offseason workouts and training camp, while his agent told Washington that Smith deserved a new contract that would have made him the highest-paid running back in the league. The team told Smith they would not give him a new deal, and he eventually reported to camp. But Smith was 25 pounds overweight when he did return to the team, and he had an up and down season, losing his starting position after the eighth game and not having a single carry for Washington's final 4 games of the season. Smith finished 1988 with 155 carries for 470 yards and 3 touchdowns.
In
1989
File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxon Valdez oil tanker runs ...
, he was no longer seen as a good fit and was left unprotected—eligible to sign with any team under
Plan B free agency
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
.
San Diego Chargers
In the
1989 offseason, Smith turned down a $100,000 offer from the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team p ...
, failed a physical with the
Phoenix Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
and eventually signed with
San Diego Chargers for $250,000 on April 1. Smith suffered a severe left ankle sprain in training camp and was seen with a suspected drug dealer, leading to his release on September 5.
Dallas Cowboys
In May 1990, he was signed after having a tryout with the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
. In that offseason, the Cowboys also acquired running backs
Terrence Flagler from a trade and future
Pro Football Hall of Famer
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coach ...
Emmitt Smith in the
1990 NFL draft
The 1990 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 22–23, 1990, at the Marriott Mar ...
. Because of the competition at the position, the Cowboys also tried him at
fullback. On September 4, he was cut the same day the Cowboys traded for running back
Alonzo Highsmith. He was brought back to play in the season opener, but was released on September 11, after rushing for only 6 yards on 6 carries.
Baltimore Stallions (CFL)
In
1994
File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...
, he was signed by the
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions (known officially as the "Baltimore Football Club" and previously as the "Baltimore CFL Colts" in its inaugural season) were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, in the United States, which played ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
, but was released before the start of the season.
Personal life
In 2005, he was arrested for allegedly trying to sell
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
to an
undercover
To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an ind ...
police officer
A police officer (also called a policeman and, less commonly, a policewoman) is a warranted law employee of a police force. In most countries, "police officer" is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. In some, the use of the ...
in
Denver
Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...
. Smith pleaded guilty in March 2006 for conspiring to distribute cocaine, and was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison that May. Smith was released from federal prison on March 3, 2008.
References
External links
Timmy Smith's Career Statistics(sportspool.com)
Free-Fall from the Top
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Timmy
1964 births
Living people
People from Hobbs, New Mexico
Players of American football from New Mexico
American football running backs
Texas Tech Red Raiders football players
Washington Redskins players
Dallas Cowboys players
American people convicted of drug offenses
Prisoners and detainees of the United States federal government