| No. 5, 33 [1] | |
|---|---|
| Position | Fullback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 27, 1966 London, England |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Erindale (Mississauga, Ontario) |
| College | UMass (1985–1988) |
| CFL draft | 1989: 1st round, 2nd overall pick |
| Career history | |
| Awards and highlights | |
Kevin Smellie (born July 27, 1966) is an English-Canadian former professional gridiron football fullback who played for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at UMass.
Kevin Smellie was born on July 27, 1966, in London, England, the son of an English welder. [1] [2] He moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, when he was two years old. [3] He attended Erindale Secondary School in Mississauga, Ontario. [2]
Smellie played college football for the UMass Minutemen of the University of Massachusetts Amherst from 1985 to 1988. [1] He was a four-year letterman and three-year starter. [1] [4] He finished his college career second in school history with 2,228 rushing yards. [4] Smellie also scored 21 rushing touchdowns. [5] He majored in child development. [4]
Smellie was selected by the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the first round, with the second overall pick, of the 1989 CFL draft. [1] However, he sat out the 1989 season after refusing to play for any CFL team west of Windsor, Ontario. [2] His deep religious conviction required him to worship at the Toronto Church of Christ in Scarborough. [2] The only CFL teams he would play for were his childhood favorite team the Toronto Argonauts, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, or the Ottawa Rough Riders. [2] Smellie worked a sales job for Mantek while sitting out the 1989 season. [3]
In mid June 1990, Saskatchewan traded Smellie to the Argonauts for a first-round pick in the 1991 CFL draft. [3] He dressed in all 54 games for Toronto from 1990 to 1992, winning the 79th Grey Cup in 1991. [1] He retired from pro football in January 1993. [6] However, Smellie unretired in March 1994 and dressed in all 18 games for the Argonauts that year. [7] [1] He was released in March 1995. [8] He finished his CFL career with totals of 72 games dressed, 191 carries for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns, 50 receptions for 482 yards and five touchdowns, six kick returns for 97 yards, and 23 special teams tackles. [9] [1]
Smellie's sister, Donna Smellie, is a former Olympian. [2]