 Smith, circa 1951 | |||||||||||
| No. 36 | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Fullback | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1929-02-28)February 28, 1929 Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | January 5, 2005(2005-01-05) (aged 75) Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 205 lb (93 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Lamar (Houston, Texas) | ||||||||||
| College | Texas A&M (1948–1951) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1951: 4th round, 41st overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Robert Lee Smith (February 28, 1929 – January 5, 2005) was an American professionalfootballfullback who played two seasons with theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League (NFL). He was selected by theCleveland Browns in the fourth round of the1951 NFL draft. He playedcollege football atTexas A&M University.
Robert Lee Smith was born on February 28, 1929, inDallas, Texas.[1] His family moved toHouston, Texas when Smith was in seventh grade.[2] He attendedMirabeau B. Lamar Senior High School in Houston.[1]
Smith was a member of theTexas A&M Aggies from 1948 to 1951, and a three-yearletterman from 1949 to 1951.[1] He earnedAssociated Press (AP) andUnited Press (UP) second-team All-Southwest Conference (SWC) honors in 1949.[3][4] In 1950, he totaled 219 rushing attempts for 1,416yards and 14 touchdowns, eight catches for 116 yards and one touchdown, and one completion on two passing attempts for five yards, one touchdown, and one interception, garnering AP and UP first-team All-SWC recognition.[5][6][7] He was the first player in SWC history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in one season.[8] He also rushed for 297 yards in a game against theSMU Mustangs that year, setting a single-game school record.[8] The Texas Sportswriters Association named him the Texas Athlete of the Year in 1950.[8]Oklahoma Sooners head coachBud Wilkinson said Smith "leaves me breathless. He may be the greatest runner I've ever seen."[8] Smith totaled 95 carries for 419 yards and one touchdown in 1951 while also catching seven passes for 111 yards and one touchdown.[5] He was inducted into the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame in 1969.[8]
Smith was selected by theCleveland Browns in the fourth round, with the 41st overall pick, of the1951 NFL draft but returned to Texas A&M for his final season of college football.[9] After college, he served as a lieutenant in theUnited States Air Force during theKorean War.[1][8][2]
Smith's NFL draft rights were later purchased by theDetroit Lions.[10][2] He played in three games, starting one, for the Lions during the 1953 season, recording six carries for 51 yards and one reception for 11 yards.[9] On December 27, 1953, the Lions beat theCleveland Browns in the1953 NFL Championship Game. He appeared in 12 games during the 1954 season, rushing three times for one yard.[9] He also played in one playoff game that year.[9] Smith was teammates with defensive backBob Smith during his time with the Lions. Smith became a free agent after the 1955 season.[10]
Smith later worked as an engineer on oil rigs and opened his own print shop.[2] He died on January 5, 2005, in Dallas at the age of 75 after suffering a heart attack and stroke earlier in the week.[9][8][2]
