Known as the Bruise Brothers, the group helped the Chargers lead the NFL in 1980 with 60 sacks. ***** From 1965-77, Jerry Smith was a two-time Pro Bowl tight end for the Washington Redskins. Smith was generally loved by teammates but didn%27t talk about his private life If you grew up near the Washington Beltway, you're likely familiar with former Redskin Jerry Smith. "I never played with a better tight end than Jerry Smith," says former All-Pro running back Calvin Hill, a teammate of Ditka's in … After retirement, he finished his law degree and became an executive director of the Players Association he helped to create. This jersey would be great for autographs or to wear. Jerry Smith played for the Washington Redskins from 1965 until 1977. Yet off the field, Smith lived with a personal secret he did not publicly share with his teammates. Joel Kinnaman will executive produce and star as NFL player Jerry Smith in a Fandomodo Films feature about the close friendship between Smith … 1942) had a relationship with teammate Jerry Smith , … At Chaminade he played tight end and later in 1982 was elected to the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Jerry was born in Dayton, Ohio and attended Chaminade High School, graduating in 1948. The following year, he became the Denver Broncos' offensive line coach. Gerald "Jerry" Sanford Smith (July 19, 1943 – October 15, 1986) was a professional American football tight end for the National Football League's Washington Redskins from 1965–1977. Jerry Smith held an NFL scoring record for 27 years. 2020 is the year to correct that. Jerry (Gerald) Smith is best known as an All Pro Tight End for the Washingon Redskins Professional Football Team. The lives of NFL stars Brig Owens and Jerry Smith of the Washington Redskins are the subject of a feature film being produced by Fandomodo Films. All logos are the trademark & property of their … Jerry Smith was born on July 19, 1943 in Eugene, Oregon, USA as Gerald Thomas Smith. He wrote, directed and produced the upcoming HBO documentary “40 Years a Prisoner,” which tells the story of the 1978 Philadelphia police raid on the radical group MOVE and its aftermath. [6] 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. Jerry Smith was a gay man in the NFL at a time when an openly gay player would not be warmly welcomed. The film is set at the height of the civil rights movement between the mid-1960s and mid-1970s, during a time of societal upheaval. Financing for the feature is through Fandomodo Films. Owens is second all-time for the Redskins (currently renamed the Washington Football Team) in career interceptions. This authentic looking custom made unsigned replica jersey is of Jerry Smith of the Washington Redskins. By Cyd Zeigler @CydZeigler Nov 22, 2019, 6:00am PST Dean, Kelcher, and Johnson all started in the 1981 Pro Bowl. His television appearances include “House of Cards,” “Hanna,” “The Killing” and “Altered Carbon.”, Oliver is the producer of the docu-series “Black Love” for OWN, now in its fourth season. He fought for justice on the field and off, and protected Jerry at a time when America was about to hear about the Stonewall riots for the first time.”, Kinnaman’s feature credits include “RoboCop,” “Suicide Squad” and its upcoming follow-up. He played at left guard for the team in 1952 and 1953. “He stood up for the rights of players at a time when nobody else dared speak. Season Games Live or On-Demand* Watch Playoff Games & Super Bowl LIV Live or On-Demand. Watch every NFL game live including Playoffs and Super Bowl, plus NFL RedZone and 24/7 streaming of NFL NetworkGroundbreaking NFL Films episode of A Football Life chronicles Jerry Smith. "If Jerry had come out, he would have not been a Redskin." Jerry Smith, a former tight end of … 'A Football Life': How Jerry Smith faced his AIDS diagnosis NFL Network originally aired “Jerry Smith: A Football Life” last January. The documentary focuses on Smith's life, his struggle to hide his secret life, and the ultimate price he would pay. Jerry Smith came to the Redskins in 1965 from Arizona State as a split end. ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Jerry Smith, whose 26-year NFL coaching career included a stint as the Denver Broncos interim head coach in 1971, has died at age 80. The players were Dave Kopay (left), Jerry Smith, Wade Davis and Roy Simmons, and the GM was David Slattery. “Injustice for one person is injustice for every person,” said Owens. NFL RedZone & Live Stream of NFL Network 48 NFL players who played under Jerry Smith. Jerry Smith, Self: The NFL on NBC. That’s one of the reasons this story needs to be told. Jerry Smith is not in the Hall despite his touchdown total. Smith led the NFL in career touchdowns by a tight end when he retired in 1977 and was popular among his teammates despite keeping his private life a secret. Along with Mitchell and Taylor, Smith made up the best receiving corps in the NFL. A Football Life is a documentary series developed by NFL Films and aired on NFL Network that documents the lives of select National Football League players, coaches, owners, and teams. In his ca­reer Smith caught 421 passes, in­clud­ing 60 touch­downs, a record for tight ends at the time. He played in the 1973 Super Bowl VII, and Sports Il­lus­trated called him "an out­stand­ing re­ceiver among tight ends, with the abil­ity to break open for a long gain". In 1956, he split time between the 49ers and Green Bay Packers. “Before Colin Kaepernick, there was Brig Owens,” Kaan said. [3] 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. … Tommy Oliver, whose credits include 2015’s “The Perfect Guy,” is producing through his Confluential Films with Anthony Kaan via Fandomodo Films. JERRY SMITH Smith, Jerome Anthony Born: 9/9/1930 Dayton, OH Died: 8/6/2011 High School: Chaminade-Julienne Catholic (Dayton, OH) College: Wisconsin [1949R 1950L 1951L] Draft: 8th round (94th overall) 1952 San Francisco 49ers Military Service: United States Army Playing Record • Record Key Smith played in 29 games during his NFL career. At the time he retired, Smith held the record for the most touchdown receptions by a tight end in NFL history. Joel Kinnaman will executive produce and star as NFL player Jerry Smith in a Fandomodo Films feature about the close friendship between Smith and his longtime Washington Redskins teammate Brig Owen… [2], Beginning in 1960, he joined the Boston Patriots as a coach of the team's defensive linemen and linebackers. “Jerry Smith was a star on the field, but was never able to find fulfillment in his personal life,” Kinnaman said. In 2011, the Pro­fes­sional Foot­ball Re­searchers As­so­ci­a­tionnamed Smith t… Not to mention team publicist Joe Blair . [4] He coached the San Diego Chargers' defensive line from 1977 through 1983. He also produced “Kinyarwanda,” a feature set during the Rwandan genocide. Set … ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Jerry Smith, whose 26-year NFL coaching career included a stint as the Denver Broncos interim head coach in 1971, has died at age 80. In 1966 he was moved to tight end in mid-season when Charley Taylor was moved from running back to wide receiver. Kinnaman and Jon Bernthal are executive producing. [3][5] The Broncos posted a 2–3 record under Smith. [1], After Smith's college football career, which he spent at Wisconsin, the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL) selected Smith in the 1952 NFL Draft. Oliver is penning the script based on a story by Owens and Kevin Vance. Jerry was born in Dayton, Ohio and attended Chaminade High School, graduating in 1948.At Chaminade he played tight end and later in 1982 was elected to the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. [7][8], Last edited on 23 September 2019, at 15:53, "Chaminade Julienne High School Athletic Hall of Fame", "Smith Is 'Flabbergasted' In Replacing Saban", "Chargers Fire Defensive Line Coach Jerry Smith", "Jerry Smith, 80, line coach with 10 pro football teams", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jerry_Smith_(American_football_coach)&oldid=917382932, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 23 September 2019, at 15:53. Smith’s story is definitely unique, but also intriguing at the same time. Jerry Smith, at Tight End, was an unheard of #2 in receptions and had 12 TD receptions, still a single season Redskin record. Smith was secretly gay — a fact he kept hidden until his death from AIDS in 1986 — and Owens faced constant challenges and bigotry as a Black man while attending law school. Joel Kinnaman will executive produce and star as NFL player Jerry Smith in a Fandomodo Films feature about the close friendship between Smith and his longtime Washington Redskins teammate Brig Owens, Variety has learned exclusively. He was the co-founder of Relativity Digital Studios under the Relativity Media banner, and represented Coca-Cola and Hasbro while at CAA. Play­ing for Otto Gra­ham's, Vince Lom­bardi's and George Allen's Red­skins, Smith had a stel­lar ca­reer. He received credit for developing the front four of Fred Dean, Leroy Jones, Louie Kelcher, and Gary "Big Hands" Johnson. Jerome Anthony Smith (September 9, 1930 – August 6, 2011) was an American football player and coach. He was named All-Pro twice and held sev­eral NFL records that stood for years. By the time he retired he held the NFL record for most career touchdowns by a tight end. 65 Preseason & 256 Reg. He died on October 15, 1986 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. [3] In 1968, the Cleveland Browns hired Smith as an assistant personnel director. Jerry Smith: Pos: TE-SE-FL, Career: 168 G, 60 TD, All-Pro(1st), 2xProBowl, Redskins 1965-1977, born OR 1943, died 1986 Even though the Redskins suck for having a racist mascot, Smith was a great tight-end.He played in two Pro Bowls and one Super Bowl, catching a record 60 touchdowns in his career — a tight-end record that remained unbroken for over a quarter century. Joel Kinnaman is heading to the gridiron for his next feature film project, playing former NFL player Jerry Smith. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. “I hope audiences will find our battles inspiring as we all come to grips with how much work is yet to be done to confront the prejudice that is still so deeply rooted in America.”. [4] From 1969 to 1970, Smith coached in the New Orleans Saints organization. Jerome Anthony Smith (September 9, 1930 – August 6, 2011) was an American football player and coach. 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Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. Smith … Jerry Smith NFL.com This past week was the 30th anniversary of the death of one of the unsung heroes in LGBT sports history. Dave Kopay, who was a one time teammate of Smith's and the first NFL player to "come out of the closet", is interviewed. ... Washington Redskins Game Used NFL Jerseys, Alex Smith Washington Redskins Football Trading Cards, Washington Redskins Regular Season NFL … Through it all, the men formed a close bond to always be there for each other regardless of differences or obstacles. Joel Kinnaman will play NFL star Jerry Smith in a racial drama that charts Smith’s friendship with his teammate for Washington, Brig Owens. He has been largely ignored by the Hall Of Fame. Professional Football Player. His career 60 TD’s as a Tight End was a record for 26 years, until Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe beat the record in his last season with 62 TD’s – played entirely in the post-1978 passing rule change NFL era. © Copyright 2020 Variety Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Business Media, LLC. It’s as relevant today as it was 40 years ago.”. Kaan founded the boutique film and television production and financing company Fandomodo in 2017. Production on the as-yet-untitled feature is slated to start in the third quarter of 2021. While a running back for the Washington Redskins, Dave Kopay (b. 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. He was born in Eugene, Oregon and attended college at Arizona State University where he played football and basketball. “He had Brig to help him through his struggle, but to this day so many young people don’t have anyone to turn to when wrestling with homosexuality — especially in the sports world. And more from NFL Network. My argument as to why, Jerry Smith, the great Tight End for the Washington Redskins in the 60’s belongs with his peers in Canton. An assistant personnel director logos are the trademark & property of their … Professional Football and... Defensive linemen and linebackers the Cleveland Browns hired Smith as an assistant personnel director all started in 1981. During a time when nobody else dared speak [ 5 ] the posted. An all Pro tight end and later in 1982 was elected to the Redskins in 1965 Arizona! Playoff Games & Super Bowl LIV Live or On-Demand & property of their Professional! 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