Jerry Smith (American football)

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For other people named Jerry Smith, see Jerry Smith (disambiguation).
Jerry Smith
No. 87     
Tight end
Personal information
Date of birth: July 19, 1943(1943-07-19)
Place of birth: Eugene, Oregon
Date of death: October 15, 1986(1986-10-15) (aged 43)
Place of death: Silver Spring, Maryland
Career information
College: Arizona State
NFL Draft: 1965 / Round: 9 / Pick: 118
AFL Draft: 1965 / Round: 18 / Pick: 141
(by the Kansas City Chiefs)
Debuted in 1965
Last played in 1977
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Receiving yards     5,496
Average     13.1
Touchdowns     60
Stats at NFL.com

Gerald "Jerry" Sanford Smith (July 19, 1943 – October 15, 1986) was a professional American football tight end for the National Football League's Washington Redskins from 1965–1977.

[edit] Professional career

Playing for Otto Graham's, Vince Lombardi's and George Allen's Redskins, Smith had a stellar career. He played in the 1973 Super Bowl VII, and Sports Illustrated called him "an outstanding receiver among tight ends, with the ability to break open for a long gain." In his career Smith caught 421 passes, including 60 touchdowns, a record for tight ends at the time. He was named All-Pro twice and held several NFL records that stood for years.

[edit] Death

Smith died of AIDS on October 15, 1986. He was the first former professional athlete to die of the disease. Although he acknowledged that he had AIDS, he never publicly acknowledged his homosexual activities. Smith's sexuality was confirmed after his death by a former teammate, pro NFL football player David Kopay, who had come out of the closet years earlier. The Redskins logo, along with Jerry Smith's uniform number 87, was part of the AIDS quilt.

[edit] Sources

Coaches
George Allen Head Coach 1971–77 • Cliff Battles RB 1932–37 • Sammy Baugh QB 1937–52 • Gene Brito DE, 1951–53, 1955–58 • Larry Brown RB 1969–76 • Dave Butz DT 1975–88 • Gary Clark WR 1985–92 • Jack Kent Cooke Owner 1961–97 • Bill Dudley RB, 1950–51, 1953 • Wayne Curry Prince George's County Executive 1994–2002 • Pat Fischer CB 1968–77 • Joe Gibbs Head Coach, 1981–92, 2004–07 • Darrell Green CB 1983–2002 • Russ Grimm G 1981–91 • Chris Hanburger LB 1965–78 • Ken Harvey LB 1994–98 • Len Hauss C 1964–77 • Phil Hochberg PA Announcer 1963–2000 • Ken Houston S 1973–80 • Sam Huff LB, 1964–67, 1969 • Joe Jacoby T/G 1981–93 • Dick James RB 1956–63 • Sonny Jurgensen QB 1964–74 • Charlie Justice RB, 1950, 1952–54 • Billy Kilmer QB 1971–78 • Eddie LeBaron QB, 1952–53, 1955–59 • Vince Lombardi Head Coach 1969 • Dexter Manley DE 1981–89 • Charles Mann DE 1983–93 • George Preston Marshall Team Founder & Owner 1932–69 • Wayne Millner End, 1936–41, 1945 • Bobby Mitchell Flanker 1962–68 • Brian Mitchell RB/KR 1990–99 • Art Monk WR 1980–93 • Mark Moseley PK 1974–86 • Brig Owens DB 1966–77 • Vince Promuto G 1960–70 • John Riggins RB, 1976–79, 1981–85 • Jerry Smith TE 1965–77 • Charley Taylor WR 1964–77 • Sean Taylor S 2004–07 • Joe Theismann QB 1974–85 • Lamar "Bubba" Tyer Head Athletic Trainer, 1971–2002, 2004–08 • Doug Williams QB 1986–89 •
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