Alonzo Highsmith

Not to be confused with his son, Alonzo Highsmith, Jr..

Alonzo Highsmith

No. 32
Position:	Running back
Personal information
Date of birth:	(1965-02-26) February 26, 1965
Place of birth:	Bartow, Florida
Height:
Weight:
Career information
High school:	Miami (FL) Columbus
College:	Miami (FL)
NFL draft:	1987 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3
Career history
Houston Oilers (1987–1989) Dallas Cowboys (1990–1991) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1991–1992)
Career highlights and awards
USA Today High School All-American (1982)
Career NFL statistics
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Alonzo Walter Highsmith, Sr. (born February 26, 1965) is a former American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played college football at the University of Miami and was drafted in the first round (third overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft.

College Football Career

Highsmith was an All-American running back for Christopher Columbus High School in Miami-Dade County. Alonzo was one of the most highly recruited players for the class of 1982 and eventually chose Miami over offers from Notre Dame and Michigan. Highsmith was a four-time letterman in college, and a member of the 1983 Hurricanes squad that won the national championship with a 31-30 victory over Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

• 1983: 19 carries for 74 yards. 4 catches for 18 yards.
• 1984: 146 carries for 906 yards and 9 TD. 37 catches for 257 yards and 2 TD.
• 1985: 117 carries for 451 yards and 5 TD. 21 catches for 286 yards and 1 TD.
• 1986: 105 carries for 442 yards and 4 TD. 30 catches for 416 yards and 4 TD.

NFL Career

He played in six NFL seasons from 1987 to 1992 for the Oilers, Cowboys (reuniting with Jimmy Johnson, his college head coach), and Buccaneers. Due to a series of knee injuries, Highsmith retired from professional football after the 1992 football season.

Highsmith was interviewed about his time at the University of Miami for the documentary The U, which premiered December 12, 2009 on ESPN.

Boxing career

Following his football career, Highsmith became a professional boxer. Over a four-year career, Highsmith amassed a 27–1–2 record in the heavyweight division. Twenty three of those victories came by way of knockout, but three of those victories were eventually withdrawn when it was determined that Highsmith was under the influence of marijuana during those fights. There were allegations of being high in seven other bouts, but those were never proven.

Post-athletic career

Currently, Highsmith resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin with his wife, Denise Highsmith, and he is the father of five children. He currently is a scout for the Green Bay Packers. Highsmith moved to Green Bay in the summer of 2012, accepting a position (Senior Personnel Executive) in the front office of the Green Bay Packers.

Personal

Highsmith's father, Walter Highsmith, was also a successful football player and coach. He, like Alonzo, played for the Oilers in 1972. He also played for the Montreal Alouettes and Alonzo played football and basketball in Montreal as a teenager. Walter was also the former head coach of Texas Southern University and has enjoyed several coaching stints in college football and the CFL. One of Highsmith's sons, Brandon Thermilus, is a running back at the University at Buffalo. Another of his sons, A.J. is a defensive back for the University of Miami. Another of his sons, also named Alonzo Highsmith Jr., currently plays linebacker for the University of Arkansas. Highsmith's cousin, Ali Highsmith, played for the Arizona Cardinals.

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Albert Bentley	Miami Hurricanes' Starting Running Back 1984–1986 (shared with Daryl Oliver and Melvin Bratton)	Succeeded by Melvin Bratton/Warren Williams