Greg Smith (rugby league) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | January 16, 1972 DeRidder, Louisiana, United States |
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Playing information
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| Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Greg Smith, born on January 16, 1972, is an American sports coach. He is famous for his work in track and field. He also played one game of rugby league for the Newcastle Knights in Australia in 1999.
Contents
Greg Smith's Sports Journey
Playing American Football
Before rugby league, Greg Smith played American football. He went to Fort Hays State University and Western State College of Colorado. There, he played as a wide receiver, a player who catches passes.
In 1996, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. This meant he joined the team as a new player. However, he did not play in any official NFL games.
Playing Rugby League
Greg Smith also played rugby league, a different kind of football. He represented the United States in a special tournament. This was the 1997 Rugby League World Sevens.
After that, he joined the Western Suburbs Magpies team in Australia. He played in their reserve grade competition.
In 1999, Greg Smith joined the Newcastle Knights. He was given a chance to try out for the team. The team had many injured players at the time. This gave him an opportunity to play.
He played his only game in Australia's top league, the NRL. This was in round 3 against Canterbury. Newcastle lost the game 26–28. Some people remember his performance in this game.
News reports at the time questioned if he had played in the NFL. Greg Smith has always said he never claimed to have played in the NFL. After this game, he continued to play in the reserve grade competition. He left the Newcastle Knights team later that season.
Life After Playing: Coaching Career
Today, Greg Smith is a full-time track and field coach. He works in Sydney, Australia. He coaches young athletes and top-level athletes.
He has coached several well-known athletes. These include Anthony Alozie, Taylor Doyle, and Bendere Oboya.
In 2014, Greg Smith worked on the movie Unbroken. He was a running coach for the actors in the film.
In June 2018, his coaching approval was temporarily stopped. This happened during a sports integrity investigation. Greg Smith successfully challenged this decision. He showed that the issue happened when he was not an active athlete.
