The Jacksonville Jaguars will have to endure another year of not having a player in the Hall-of-Fame although there is always next year. Former offensive tackle Tony Boselli once again came close, making it to the finalist round but he wasn’t quite able to crack the lineup of five modern era nominees.
Jags fans have not only grown tired of Boselli getting over looked, but a few others who’ve donned black and teal in the past. One of those notables is receiver Jimmy Smith, who has been eligible for 10 years but has never made it to the semifinalist round. However, despite the disrespect he’s received from the nation, ESPN’s Ed Werdner feels as though Smith would be recognized in Canton had injuries not impacted his career.
Most Jags fans will recall Smith being relatively healthy in Jacksonville, and that would be right as he played in all but five games with the Jags during his 12-year career. However, Werdner covered Smith as a beat reporter in his first two years in the league when Smith was with the Dallas Cowboys.
As a rookie Smith only participated in six games as a result of breaking his fibula during a preseason scrimmage. The following year (1993) he had worse luck and had to undergo emergency appendectomy surgery in August. Afterward, he underwent an ileostomy procedure and wasn’t able to play at all.
In a nutshell, Werder feels those injuries derailed the early success Smith could’ve had before he came to Jacksonville, and he makes a good point. However, it ultimately was fate as he ended up with the Jags and had an excellent career anyway — albeit as a late-bloomer.
Smith currently sits atop the Jags’ all-time receiving yards (1,463), receptions (862), and touchdowns list (67). Simply put, it will be a long time before anyone catches him, but even when someone does, Jacksonville will always give him the respect he deserves.
