Washington Redskins Smith was selected by the
Washington Redskins in the fifth round (117th overall) of the
1987 NFL draft, because of his combination of size and athletic ability. During his first season, although starter
George Rogers was limited with different injuries, Smith had only carried the ball in four games. In the Divisional playoff game against the
Chicago Bears, Rogers wasn't playing well, so after he had only 6 carries for 13 yards, combined with an ineffective performance by his backup
Kelvin Bryant, Smith was inserted into the game and responded with 66 yards on 16 carries, including 7 carries to run out the clock. In the NFC Championship game against the
Minnesota Vikings he had 72 rushing yards on 13 carries, contributing to a narrow 17–10 win. After his playoff performances, head coach
Joe Gibbs made the decision to start Smith in the
Super Bowl, but only told this to starting quarterback
Doug Williams and a few of his assistant coaches, in order to avoid rookie Smith being overwhelmed by the pressure. Smith was told about this decision before the pregame warmups. In
Super Bowl XXII, Smith set a
Super Bowl rushing record in his first career start, gaining 204 yards and scoring 2 touchdowns. His efforts helped lead the Redskins to a 42–10 victory over the
Denver Broncos. It was his only significant achievement as an
NFL player, even receiving recognition from the
NFL Films as the #2 one-shot wonder in league history. In
1988, he didn't participate in offseason workouts and training camp, while his agent told Washington that Smith deserved a new contract that would have made him the highest-paid running back in the league. The team told Smith they would not give him a new deal, and he eventually reported to camp. But Smith was 25 pounds overweight when he did return to the team, and he had an up and down season, losing his starting position after the eighth game and not having a single carry for Washington's final 4 games of the season. Smith finished 1988 with 155 carries for 470 yards and 3 touchdowns. In
1989, he was no longer seen as a good fit and was left unprotected—eligible to sign with any team under
Plan B free agency.
San Diego Chargers In the
1989 offseason, Smith turned down a $100,000 offer from the
Miami Dolphins, failed a physical with the
Phoenix Cardinals and eventually signed with the
San Diego Chargers for $250,000 on April 1. Smith suffered a severe left ankle sprain in training camp and was seen with a suspected drug dealer, leading to his release on September 5.
Dallas Cowboys In May 1990, he was signed after having a tryout with the
Dallas Cowboys. In that offseason, the Cowboys also acquired running backs
Terrence Flagler from a trade and future
Pro Football Hall of Famer
Emmitt Smith in the
1990 NFL draft. Because of the competition at the position, the Cowboys also tried him at
fullback. On September 4, he was cut the same day the Cowboys traded for running back
Alonzo Highsmith. He was brought back to play in the season opener, but was released on September 11, after rushing for only 6 yards on 6 carries.
Baltimore Stallions In
1994, he was signed by the
Baltimore Stallions of the
Canadian Football League, but was released before the start of the season. ==Personal life==