Vitamin Smith
American football player (1923–2000)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Verda T. "Vitamin" Smith Jr. (October 30, 1923 – February 14, 2000) was a National Football League (NFL) running back for the Los Angeles Rams from 1949 through 1953.
Sweetwater, Texas, U.S.
Lake Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Smith on a 1952 Bowman football card | |||||||||||||
| No. 77, 47 | |||||||||||||
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| Position | Halfback | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born | October 30, 1923 Sweetwater, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Died | February 14, 2000 (aged 76) Lake Dallas, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||
| Listed height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 179 lb (81 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school | |||||||||||||
| College | Abilene Christian (1946–1948) | ||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1949: undrafted | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Smith served in the United States Army and participated in the Battle of Normandy before enrolling at Abilene Christian University where he sprinted, threw javelin and played college football for the Wildcats.[1] In the NFL, Smith was a return specialist. In 1950, he set a record by returning three kicks for touchdowns in a single season. That record would stand until 1967.[2]
Verda T. Smith married Myra Pearce, daughter of Mr. and Mr.s Herman F. Pearce, in Ventura, California on August 15, 1946. He was a student at Abilene Christian College at the time.[3]
