University of North Texas Athletics
No. 78: J.T. Smith Joins The NFL
6/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Return to Play
No. 78 - J.T. Smith Joins The NFL
John Thomas Smith, or as most people remember him, J.T., finished his career at North Texas in 1977 with the third most interceptions in a career with 13.
Smith started his first year with the varsity team in 1975 with six interceptions, but his most impressive pick would come the next season when he returned one 100-yards for the score against Louisiana Tech. He is one of two defensive players to record a 100-yard interception return in North Texas history.
A defensive back in college, J.T. signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a free agent wide receiver and punt returner after the 1978 draft.
After a brief rookie season where he compiled four returns for 33 yards in only nine games during 1978, Smith led the NFL in 1979 and 1980 in punt return yards, punt return touchdowns and non-offensive TD's for the Chiefs.
Smith would be selected to the first of his two Pro Bowl appearances in 1980 as well as be named an All-Pro.
J.T. would finally go over the 1,000 yard receiving mark in 1986 for St. Louis when he hauled in 80 receptions for 1,080 yards and six scores.
He would follow up that season with a NFL leading 91 receptions in 1987 as well as a league leading 1,117 yards and eight scores, which was good enough for another All-Pro selection.
The 1988 season saw Smith get selected to his second Pro Bowl with 83 catches for 986 yards and five touchdowns.
Smith would exit the league after the 1990 season, compiling 544 catches for 6,974 yards and 35 TD's as well as notching four punt return TD's during his 13 year career.
| No. 100- | 100-yard fumble return for TD | No. 75- | Monday, June 27 | No. 50- | Friday, July 22 | No. 25 | Tuesday, August 16 |
| No. 99 | Fitzgerald Goes The Distance | No. 74- | Tuesday, June 28 | No. 49 | Saturday, July 23 | No. 24 | Wednesday, August 17 |
| No. 98 | Sears Woods' Stuns Knoxville | No. 73- | Wednesday, June 29 | No. 48 | Sunday, July 24 | No. 23 | Thursday, August 18 |
| No. 97- | NT Blows Out Decatur Baptist | No. 72- | Thursday, June 30 | No. 47 | Monday, July 25 | No. 22 | Friday, August 19 |
| No. 96- | 96 Years Of Football | No. 71- | Friday, July 1 | No. 46 | Tuesday, July 26 | No. 21 | Saturday, August 20 |
| No. 95- | The Jump To Division I-A | No. 70- | Saturday, July 2 | No. 45 | Wednesday, July 27 | No. 20 | Sunday, August 21 |
| No. 94- | Optimist Bowl Offense | No. 69- | Sunday, July 3 | No. 44 | Thursday, July 28 | No. 19 | Monday, August 22 |
| No. 93- | Michael High KR Yards | No. 68- | Monday, July 4 | No. 43 | Friday, July 29 | No. 18 | Tuesday, August 23 |
| No. 92- | Gowin 92-Yard Punt | No. 67- | Tuesday, July 5 | No. 42 | Saturday, July 30 | No. 17 | Wednesday, August 24 |
| No. 91- | Chancellor Saves The MGRN | No. 66- | Wednesday, July 6 | No. 41 | Sunday, July 31 | No. 16 | Thursday, August 25 |
| No. 90- | Renfro/Haynes Tally 90 pts. | No. 65- | Thursday, July 7 | No. 40 | Monday, August 1 | No. 15 | Friday, August 26 |
| No. 89- | Redwine Bursts Onto Scene | No. 64- | Friday, July 8 | No. 39 | Tuesday, August 2 | No. 14 | Saturday, August 27 |
| No. 88- | Mean Green Robbed | No. 63- | Saturday, July 9 | No. 38 | Wednesday, August 3 | No. 13 | Sunday, August 28 |
| No. 87- | Fitzgerald Fries Competition | No. 62- | Sunday, July 10 | No. 37 | Thursday, August 4 | No. 12 | Monday, August 29 |
| No. 86- | Mean Green Eighty-Six The Toads | No. 61- | Monday, July 11 | No. 36 | Friday, August 5 | No. 11 | Tuesday, August 30 |
| No. 85- | Adrian Awasom | No. 60- | Tuesday, July 12 | No. 35 | Saturday, August 6 | No. 10 | Wednesday, August 31 |
| No. 84- | Brown Delivers For NT | No. 59- | Wednesday, July 13 | No. 34 | Sunday, August 7 | No. 9 | Thursday, September 1 |
| No. 83- | 83 All-Conference Selections | No. 58- | Thursday, July 14 | No. 33 | Monday, August 8 | No. 8 | Friday, September 2 |
| No. 82- | Corky Nelson | No. 57- | Friday, July 15 | No. 32 | Tuesday, August 9 | No. 7 | Saturday, September 3 |
| No. 81- | One Of The Greats | No. 56- | Saturday, July 16 | No. 31 | Wednesday, August 10 | No. 6 | Sunday, September 4 |
| No. 80- | Cedric The Sack-Getter | No. 55- | Sunday, July 17 | No. 30 | Thursday, August 11 | No. 5 | Monday, September 5 |
| No. 79- | "Blow George, Blow!" | No. 54- | Monday, July 18 | No. 29 | Friday, August 12 | No. 4 | Tuesday, September 6 |
| No. 78- | J.T. Smith Joins the NFL | No. 53- | Tuesday, July 19 | No. 28 | Saturday, August 13 | No. 3 | Wednesday, September 7 |
| No. 77- | Saturday, June 25 | No. 52- | Wednesday, July 20 | No. 27 | Sunday, August 14 | No. 2 | Thursday, September 8 |
| No. 76- | Sunday, June 26 | No. 51- | Thursday, July 21 | No. 26 | Monday, August 15 | No. 1 | Friday, September 9 |
