Larry Smith (running back)

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This article is about the former NFL running back. For the former CFL running back, see Larry Smith (Canadian politician)
Larry Smith
Color rendering of 1968 cover of Street & Smith magazine, showing a close-up of football player Larry Smith in the royal blue, white and orange uniform of the Florida Gators, carrying a football in one hand with the other outstretched toward the camera.
Smith on 1968 cover of Street & Smith
No. 38, 33
Position: Running back
Personal information
Date of birth: (1947-09-02) September 2, 1947 (age 76)
Place of birth: Tampa, Florida
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Career information
High school: Tampa (FL) Robinson
College: Florida
NFL draft: 1969 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played: 72
Rushing attempts: 528
Rushing yards: 2,057
Receptions: 149
Receiving yards: 1,176
Touchdowns: 16
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

William Lawrence Smith (born September 2, 1947) is an American former college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons during the 1960s and 1970s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, and earned All-American honors. He was a first-round pick in the 1969 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins of the NFL.

Early life

Smith was born in 1947 in Tampa, Florida,[1] and attended Thomas Richard Robinson High School in Tampa.[2] As a junior in 1963, Smith was the star running back on the Robinson Knights high school football team, and led his team to Florida's first-ever state championship football game before losing to the Coral Gables Cavaliers 16–14.[3] He finished his high school career with forty-seven touchdowns, and received all-county, all-state, and Parade magazine high school All-American accolades.[3][4] In 2007, forty-two years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) recognized Smith as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.[4]

College career

Craig (33) vs. Auburn, 1966

Smith accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he was a tailback for coach Ray Graves' Florida Gators football team from 1966 to 1968.[3][5] Memorably, Smith had a 94-yard touchdown run in the Gators' 27–12 victory over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the 1967 Orange Bowl—while struggling to keep his pants up.[3] His 187 yards rushing in the Orange Bowl resulted in him being named the game's "Outstanding Player."[6] He finished his college football career with 528 carries for 2,186 yards and twenty-four rushing touchdowns, and 607 yards receiving.[5] He was a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1966, 1967 and 1968, and was a first-team All-American in 1968.[5] Smith was also the recipient of the Gators' Fergie Ferguson Award, recognizing the "senior football player who displays outstanding leadership, character and courage."[5]

Smith graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1970, and was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1983.[7][8] In a 2006 article series written for The Gainesville Sun, he was recognized as No. 29 among the top 100 Gator players from the first 100 years of Florida football.[9]

Professional career

Smith was selected in the first round (eighth pick overall) of the 1969 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams,[10] and played for the Rams from 1969 to 1973 and the Washington Redskins in 1974.[11] His rookie year with the Rams was his most productive season: 599 yards rushing and 300 yards receiving.[11] After five seasons with the Rams, he was traded to the Redskins in 1974 as part of coach George Allen's effort to rebuild the Redskins with experienced players.[12] He received few carries with the Redskins, however, accumulating only 149 yards in seven games, with no touchdowns.[13] In his six NFL seasons, Smith gained 2,057 yards rushing on 528 carries for eleven touchdowns; he also had 149 receptions for 1,176 yards receiving and five touchdowns.[13]

Life after football

Smith returned to the University of Florida to earn a master's degree in business administration in 1975.[14] In 1982, he graduated from the Stetson University College of Law with a law degree, and is now a commercial real estate attorney with the Tampa law firm of Hill, Ward & Henderson.[14]

Smith is married, and he and his wife have two daughters and a son.[3] His son, Law Smith, now runs a very successful stand up comedy company based in Tampa, FL called Cigar City Comedy. Notable comics includes MTV reality bad boy John Jacobs.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com, Players, Larry Smith. Retrieved July 9, 2010.
  2. ↑ Larry Hug, "Smith: He made it," The Evening Independent, p. 1C (October 28, 1969). Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Katherine Smith, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 29 Larry Smith," The Tampa Tribune (November 28, 1999). Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "FHSAA unveils '100 Greatest Players of First 100 Years' as part of centennial football celebration," Florida High School Athletic Association (December 4, 2007). Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 87, 91, 96, 103, 138–140, 147–148, 159, 162, 173, 185 (2011). Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  6. ↑ Noel Nash, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois, pp. 52–54 (1998).
  7. ↑ F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
  8. ↑ Bud Crussell, "Gator Activities Give Pell Boost," Ocala Star-Banner, p. 3B (April 18, 1983). Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  9. ↑ Robbie Andreu & Pat Dooley, "No. 29 Larry Smith," The Gainesville Sun (August 5, 2006). Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History, 1969 National Football League-American Football League Draft. Retrieved June 5, 2010.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 National Football League, Historical Players, Larry Smith. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  12. ↑ Neil Amdur, "Larry Smith Is An Example Of Redskin 'Now' Idea," The New York Times, p. S4 (October 20, 1974). Retrieved June 29, 2010.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 databaseFootball.com, Players, Larry Smith. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Hill, Ward & Henderson, Attorneys, W. Lawrence Smith. Retrieved May 20, 2010.

Bibliography

  • Carlson, Norm, University of Florida Football Vault: The History of the Florida Gators, Whitman Publishing, LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (2007). ISBN 0-7948-2298-3.
  • Golenbock, Peter, Go Gators! An Oral History of Florida's Pursuit of Gridiron Glory, Legends Publishing, LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida (2002). ISBN 0-9650782-1-3.
  • Hairston, Jack, Tales from the Gator Swamp: A Collection of the Greatest Gator Stories Ever Told, Sports Publishing, LLC, Champaign, Illinois (2002). ISBN 1-58261-514-4.
  • McCarthy, Kevin M., Fightin' Gators: A History of University of Florida Football, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (2000). ISBN 978-0-7385-0559-6.
  • McEwen, Tom, The Gators: A Story of Florida Football, The Strode Publishers, Huntsville, Alabama (1974). ISBN 0-87397-025-X.
  • Nash, Noel, ed., The Gainesville Sun Presents The Greatest Moments in Florida Gators Football, Sports Publishing, Inc., Champaign, Illinois (1998). ISBN 1-57167-196-X.
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