Jeff Smith (running back)

Jeff Smith

No. 42, 35
Position	Running back
Personal information
Born	(1962-03-22) March 22, 1962 (age 63) Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight	201 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Wichita Southeast
College	Nebraska
NFL draft	1985: 10th round, 267th overall pick
Career history
Kansas City Chiefs (1985–1986) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1987–1988) Green Bay Packers (1989)*
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Awards and highlights
First-team All-Big Eight (1984)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards 752 Rushing average 3.7 Total touchdowns 12 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Jeff Keith Smith (born March 22, 1962) is an American professional football player who was a running back for four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers and was selected by the Chiefs in the 10th round in the 1985 NFL draft. ^[1]

College career

At the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, Smith's career was highlighted by his two touchdowns in the 1984 Orange Bowl including one in the last minute to almost rally the Cornhuskers to a comeback victory against the Miami Hurricanes in what is still thought to be one of the greatest college football games of all time.

Professional career

Smiths most productive season was 1986 with the Chiefs when he gained 1,270 all-purpose yards, 557 of which came returning kickoffs. ^[2]

Later years

After his NFL career, Smith has pursued a career in the criminal justice system, working as a Court Services Officer in Wichita, Kansas.

Personal life

Smith is the step-father of NFL running back Breece Hall. ^[3]

NFL career statistics

Legend
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1985	KAN	13	1	30	118	3.9	27	0	18	157	8.7	45	2
1986	KAN	15	0	54	238	4.4	32	3	33	230	7.0	18	3
1987	TAM	12	8	100	309	3.1	46	2	20	197	9.9	34	2
1988	TAM	16	3	20	87	4.4	23	0	16	134	8.4	22	0
		56	12	204	752	3.7	46	5	87	718	8.3	45	7

Playoffs

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving
		GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD
1986	KAN	1	0	4	12	3.0	6	1	2	12	6.0	6	0
		1	0	4	12	3.0	6	1	2	12	6.0	6	0

References

1. "1985 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 5, 2023.
2. "Jeff Smith 1986 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
3. Cimini, Rich (May 19, 2022). "49ers great Roger Craig part of football family molding Jets rookie Breece Hall". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 29, 2022.

External links

• Football Database bio