Jerry Smith (American football player)

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Jerry Smith
Position (s):
Tight End 		Jersey number (s):
87
born July 19, 1943 in Livermore , California
died on October 15, 1986 in Silver Spring , Maryland
Career information
Active : 1965 - 1977
NFL Draft : 1965 / Round: 9 / Pick: 118
AFL Draft : 1965 / Round: 18 / Pick: 141
College : Arizona State
Teams
Career statistics
Captive yards     5,496
Captured passports     421
Touchdowns     60
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Career highlights and awards

Jerry Smith ( Gerald Thomas Smith ; born July 19, 1943 in Livermore , California - † October 15, 1986 in Silver Spring , Maryland ) was an American professional American football player.

Smith was born in Livermore, California, and grew up in a Catholic family. After finishing school, he embarked on a professional sports career. Smith played from 1965 to 1977 in the NFL for the Washington Redskins on the tight end position . In 1973 Smith played in the Super Bowl . The sports magazine Sports Illustrated described him as "an outstanding receiver among thight ends, with the ability to break open for a long gain." In his sports career, Smith managed 421 passes , including 60 touchdowns , which was a record for the tight end player position at the time . Smith held various NFL records in those years.

Smith died of AIDS on October 15, 1986 . Smith was the first professional athlete whose disease of AIDS became known to the public in the United States. Although Smith knew about his illness, he did not address it and did not take a public position on his sexual identity . After Smith's death, David Kopay publicly stated that his former teammate Smith was gay .

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Smith, Jerry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Smith, Gerald Thomas
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American football player
DATE OF BIRTH July 19, 1943
PLACE OF BIRTH Livermore (California)
DATE OF DEATH October 15, 1986
Place of death Silver Spring , Maryland