Blane Smith

Blane E. Smith (born July 13, 1954) is an American former professional football player. He played college football for the Purdue Boilermakers and was selected in the seventh round of the 1977 National Football League (NFL) draft by the Cleveland Browns. He later appeared in one game for the Green Bay Packers as a linebacker and was also a member of the New York Jets.

Early life Smith was born on July 13, 1954, in West Memphis, Arkansas. He grew up in Gary with many of his siblings in a two-room house, describing his living conditions as like "sardines in a can". He told the Journal and Courier: I was seven years old before I slept in a bed. And those beds were crowded. One of us would have the top, another in the middle and one or two at the bottom. We got enough to eat, but not meat. We got our protein from beans. In football, he played as a defensive end, following after his older brother, Sterling, who played at the position in high school. He was Purdue's sole player on the Associated Press All-Big Ten team for the 1975 season. Standing at and weighing , Smith was named the defensive team captain as a senior in 1976. His performance at the position impressed Cleveland Browns head coach Forrest Gregg, and thus the Browns selected Smith in the seventh round (184th overall) of the 1977 NFL draft to play tight end. He signed with the Browns on June 27, 1977. He was released on August 31, 1977, with coach Gregg citing his struggles with catching the football. In November, he signed with the Green Bay Packers to play linebacker. He made his NFL debut in the final game of the season, appearing in the Packers' 16–14 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He was released by the Packers in 1978 and then acquired off waivers by the New York Jets on June 19, 1978. He finished with one NFL game played.