Jerome Anthony Smith (September 9, 1930 – August 6, 2011) was an American football player and coach. After Smith's college football career, which he spent at Wisconsin, the National Football League's (NFL) San Francisco 49ers selected Smith in the 1952 NFL Draft. He played at left guard for the team in 1952 and 1953. In 1956, he split time between the 49ers and Green Bay Packers. Smith played in 29 games during his NFL career.
Beginning in 1960, he joined the Boston Patriots as a coach of the team's defensive linemen and linebackers. Two years later, he took a similar role with the Buffalo Bills; in his six years as a Bills coach, the team won two American Football League championships. In 1968, the Cleveland Browns hired Smith as an assistant personnel director. From 1969 to 1970, Smith coached in the New Orleans Saints organization. The following year, he became the Denver Broncos' offensive line coach. On November 17, 1971, Broncos head coach Lou Saban, who had also been Smith's boss in Boston and Buffalo, resigned and Smith was named his replacement for the season's last five games. The Broncos posted a 2–3 record under Smith. Following the 1971 season, he became the Houston Oilers' defensive line coach for 1972; after one season, he returned to the Browns and served multiple roles.
Famous quotes containing the words jerry and/or smith:
“Remember, a woman has to work harder than a man and have more patience in order to achieve success.”
—Margaret Mary Morgan, U.S. suffragist, print shop owner, and politician. As quoted in Dianne Feinstein, ch. 5, by Jerry Roberts (1994)
“With the greater part of rich people, the chief enjoyment of riches consists in the parade of riches, which in their eyes is never so complete as when they appear to possess those decisive marks of opulence which nobody can possess but themselves.”
—Adam Smith (1723–1790)