Safety First: Terrific Tommie Smith Might Have Been an Even Better Husky TailBack

Tommie Smith drives a truck these days for Central Welding Supply in Woodinville, Washington, and delivers medical, beverage and industrial gasses to a pandemic world in need. He's an essential employee.

Recently turned 49, Smith is a middle-aged man now, far removed from his University of Washington football glory days, his thicker waistline verifying all of this.

One thing hasn't changed — Tommie has always been essential.

In 1989, Smith joined the Huskies as their most-decorated recruit, rated a perfect 10 on the Long Beach Press-Telegram's Best in the West listing, comparable to five stars today.

Four years later, he finished up as the starting strong safety for the UW's national championship team, a fixture at the back of a dominating defense, one of the headliners for a legendary team.

"I didn't know how good I was until later on," he said.

The thing is with Tommie Smith, he will never know how truly wondrous he could have been on a college football field.

At tailback.

Long since forgotten, Smith came to the Huskies from Antelope Valley High School on the desert's edge in Lancaster, California, as a running back.

He was huge for a ball carrier, 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, and frightening fast, boasting a 4.48-second 40-yard dash. He was a hulking figure in his high-arching shoulder pads.

"Greg Lewis and I talk about that all the time," Smith said of his Husky teammate who went on to become a second-team AP All-American tailback and the first Doak Walker Award winner in 1990. "Coach (Matt) Simon told him, 'We've got this running back coming in from California and he's going to take your job.' He was like worried."

However, Smith hurt a knee on his fourth day in fall camp and submitted to arthroscopic surgery.

He didn't see the field until the fifth game that freshman season. At USC, no less, not far from his hometown. As a defensive player, filling a need because veteran safeties Eric Briscoe and Eugene Burkhalter were hurt and unavailable.

On his second college play, Smith faked out a blocker and rushed the Trojans punter from the left side, fully extended and blocked the kick. The line of scrimmage was the 32. The thump echoed through Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The football bounced wildly.

Tommie rolled and got to his feet, scooped up the ball on the 4 and dove in for a touchdown. Just like that.

Welcome to the big leagues.

No one in Husky annals has had such an electric debut. Not Spider Gaines. Not Jacque Robinson.

It took Smith two plays into his career to reach the end zone. He was instantaneous in his greatness. Nonetheless, he was a defensive player thereafter.

It didn't matter that he averaged more than eight yards per carry at Antelope Valley High. Scored 19 times as runner as a senior. Ran for more than 200 yards in a playoff game. Defense proved to be his college calling.

After an unsuccessful Seahawks tryout, Smith played safety for three CFL seasons in Winnipeg, Saskatchewan, San Antonio and Sacramento and returned a pair of interceptions for long touchdowns. He could always score.

Smith can only muse about what might have been for him in football had he been taking handoffs all along. The Huskies had the good-sized Lewis and speedsters Beno Bryant and Napoleon Kaufman during his time, so there wasn't a great need for another tailback. Those guys were legendary each in their own way at the UW.

Today, Smith drives through the streets of Gold Bar, Bothell and Kenmore, and points in between, carrying needed products to hospitals, restaurants, fire stations and more. He remains essential.

Packing yards and touchdowns for the Huskies remains a faraway daydream.

"It would have been nice to see what I could have done as a tailback," Smith said. "Considering the line we had, it would have been good."

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