Donald Smith (defensive back) facts for kids

Donald Smith, born on February 21, 1968, is a former American football player. He was a talented cornerback, a defensive player who tries to stop passes. Donald played in two major leagues: the National Football League (NFL) in the United States and the Canadian Football League (CFL) in Canada. In the CFL, he played for teams like the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Memphis Mad Dogs, Toronto Argonauts, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He also played for the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL. Before becoming a professional, he played college football at Liberty University.

Donald Smith: A Football Journey

Early Life and College Football

Donald Smith grew up in Danville, Virginia. He went to George Washington High School. There, he was a star athlete, earning "letters" (awards for excellence) in three sports: football, basketball, and track.

He received a special scholarship to play football at Liberty University. At Liberty, he continued to play as a cornerback. His coach was Sam Rutigliano. During his junior year, Donald was very good at stopping the other team's passes, making 5 interceptions. An interception is when a defensive player catches a pass meant for an offensive player. In his senior year, he made 3 more interceptions. By the end of his college career, he had stopped 26 passes from being completed.

Playing in the NFL

After college, Donald hoped to play in the NFL.

With the Minnesota Vikings

In 1990, the Minnesota Vikings chose Donald Smith in the tenth round of the NFL Draft. This is a special event where professional teams pick new players. However, he was released by the team on September 3rd.

With the Dallas Cowboys

In 1991, Donald joined the Dallas Cowboys. He played in three games for the team. Later that year, he was added to the team's practice squad. A practice squad is a group of players who train with the team but don't usually play in games.

Playing in the CFL (Canadian Football League)

Donald Smith found great success playing in the Canadian Football League (CFL). The CFL is Canada's top professional football league.

With the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

In 1992, Donald joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He helped his team reach the Grey Cup finals, which is the championship game of the CFL. He had an amazing season, making 67 tackles (stopping opposing players). He also made 24 special teams tackles and 3 interceptions. One exciting play was his 71-yard punt return for a touchdown! The team reached the Grey Cup finals again the next year. Donald was recognized as an "East Division All-Star" in both 1993 and 1994. This means he was one of the best players in his position in the Eastern part of the league.

With the Memphis Mad Dogs

In 1995, Donald played for the Memphis Mad Dogs. He continued to be a top player, earning a "South Division All-Star" award. That year, he made 50 tackles, 5 interceptions, and recovered 2 fumbles. A fumble is when a player drops the ball.

With the Toronto Argonauts

From 1996, Donald played for the Toronto Argonauts. This was a very successful time for him! He helped the Argonauts win two Grey Cup Championships in a row, in 1996 and 1997. Winning the Grey Cup is like winning the Super Bowl in the NFL. He was again named an East Division All-Star in 1998.

With the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

In 2000, Donald played his final professional season with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Life After Playing Football

After his professional football career, Donald Smith continued to be involved in sports and education. He was an assistant Defensive-Back Coach at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia from 2000 to 2003.

Donald Smith now works within the Danville Public School System, in Danville, Virginia, where he has been a Special Education teacher since 2003.