Blane Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
West Memphis, Arkansas, U.S.
| No. 56 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Linebacker | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | July 13, 1954 West Memphis, Arkansas, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Gary (IN) Theodore Roosevelt | ||||
| College: | Purdue (1973–1976) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1977: 7th round, 184th pick | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Blane E. Smith (born July 13, 1954) is an American former professional football player. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected in the seventh round of the 1977 National Football League (NFL) draft by the Cleveland Browns. He later appeared in one game for the Green Bay Packers as a linebacker and was also a member of the New York Jets.
Smith was born on July 13, 1954, in West Memphis, Arkansas.[1][2] He was one of 15 children and moved with his family to Gary, Indiana, around age three.[2] He grew up in Gary with many of his siblings in a two-room house, describing his living conditions as like "sardines in a can".[3] He told the Journal and Courier:
I was seven years old before I slept in a bed. And those beds were crowded. One of us would have the top, another in the middle and one or two at the bottom. We got enough to eat, but not meat. We got our protein from beans.[3]
Smith played basketball and football growing up and declared that he would be a future first-round NFL draft selection while in sixth grade.[4][5] In football, he played as a defensive end, following after his older brother, Sterling, who played at the position in high school.[2][4] His favorite player was Willie Davis of the Green Bay Packers.[4] He attended Theodore Roosevelt High School in Gary and was recruited to play basketball for several colleges, but instead chose to play college football for the Purdue Boilermakers.[5]
