Tuesday, May 27th, 2008...2:25 pm by Lee Gibbons
Timmy Smith Rated 2nd on List of NFL’s One-Hit Wonders
The first game I can remember cheering for the Redskins was Timmy Smith’s one shining NFL moment, and what a moment it was.
I would have been nine years old at the time of Super Bowl XXII. At some point during that season I chose the Washington Redskins as my team. Being up in Canada in the years before the internet and Sunday Ticket, we didn’t get much coverage besides a few games that were broadcast on the NBC and CBS affiliates in Erie, PA. The Redskins at that time had a bunch of national broadcasts so I was able to watch some games (or else this likely would have been The Steelers Report). I knew of the QBs – Doug Williams and Jay Schrader, the Posse – Monk, Clark and Sanders and some of the defensive guys – Darrell Green and Dexter Manley being my favorites, but before the Super Bowl I had no idea Timmy Smith was even on the team.
Smith ran wild against Denver. He rush for 204 yards and scored two touchdowns. The 204 yards was a Super Bowl Record that stands today, over 20 years later. In his entire career, Smith only ran for 596 regular season yards. Needless to say, he didn’t have another game that even approached his output in the Super Bowl. In fact Smith only played 16 more games for the Redskins before being dropped from the team one year after the Super Bowl. He played one game for Dallas in 1990 and that was the end of the Smith’s NFL career.
Excluding the Super Bowl heroics Smith’s tale wasn’t a happy one. He ruined his chance to grab the Redskins running back by reporting to training camp out of shape after his big game. After flopping out of the NFL, he settled in Denver and was arrested in 2005 for selling cocaine and spent over 2 years in prison (Smith was released in March 2008).
Now who exactly could possibly be more of a one-hit wonder than Smith? Greg Cook, a QB for a brief period with Cincinnati, topped the list. According to the ever reliable Wikipedia, Cook was a top draft pick of the Bengals in 1969 and began his career looking like a superstar. In his 4th career game, Cook suffered a shoulder injury. Cook missed three games and returned playing through pain to finish the season. It was later discovered that Cook had torn his rotator cuff and had severely damaged the shoulder by playing through the pain. His career basically ended (he tried a brief comeback in 1973) and many thought he could have become one of the best QBs in NFL history.
6 Comments
May 27th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
I remember watching Smith destroy my high school (Roswell Coyotes) when he played for the Hobbs Eagles. The guy was awesome…
June 7th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I remember back round 96 or 97 I was in Orlando working at the time for Rent a Center on Edgewater. He came in with wither his wife or girlfriend. I couldn’t remember. BUT it was sad. Everyone knew I was a huge skins fan so they came and got me. He had memorabilia with him, but it was only of a stint with the eagles. nothing referencing the SB. I ended up delivering his RAC furniture to some middle class apt complex of North OBT. I really had to scratch my head wondering how he had so much at one time. Seemed like a real nice guy. We chatted a couple times after that. I remember telling him that DG was my favorite player. He just said DG was a wonderful guy and player. He really avoided talk about the SB and Redskins too.
August 5th, 2008 at 4:11 am
All the haters out there who were cut from their high school football team and never got the chance to play again….SHUT UP!! I have heard for 20 years trash talk about my brother and I am sick of it…. He accomplished something that no one has ever done since….the rushing record… I don’t care who you are or what you think you know about football…. I challenge any of you to gain 10 yards in a real professional game…. to gain 204 and he didn’t play the full 4th quarter…. You have to be a moron to think he was a fluke or one hit wonder…. And for those who do not know what happened the second year…. SHUT UP! The truth is coming out and it is being helped along by Hall of Famer Darrell Green…. Until then…. Keep your hating mouths closed…
Carl Smith
August 6th, 2008 at 1:43 am
Hi Carl, we’d love to hear Timmy side of the story. If he or you wants to get your side of the story out, let me know I’d be glad to put it up on the site.
January 30th, 2009 at 11:50 am
I remember watching a player for the skins in
mid 1970 s, # 43 LARRY BROWN.
O.J was in his era also, however I am NOT sure but I think Brown set a record for THAT seasons rushing on monday night foot ball and they stopped the game and he went out on the 50 yard line for a ?trophy? or something like that.
He would just bulldoze through any one,two three , four guys who would TRY TO TACKLE HIM.
PLEASE REPLY
March 23rd, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Carl I spent some time in Hobbs in 79-80 and I got to know some of your people (Mike and Steve). I know what kind of people Timmy comes from. You said it all.
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