Smith 'A Pleasure to Watch'
Source: Seattle PI
By Don Fair
If that was the real Sherman Smith who repeatedly stood up during yesterday's 50-minute scrimmage, the Seahawks have found themselves an exciting running back.Running back is only the nomenclature for his position, because Smith catches maybe even better than he runs.
As head coach Jack Patera said, a smile creeping across his face,"He certainly was a pleasure to watch."
Smith's cold statistics for the training camp's longest scrimmage were: Five receptions for 50 yards and one touchdown, two carries for 10 yards. But he did everything with a flair.
That must have brought a sigh of relief from the Seahawk coaching ranks, for Smith was switched from wide receiver to running back when camp opened last Friday. And that's after he spent his college career quarterbacking Miami (Ohio) to a 33-1-1 record in 3 seasons.
So this 6-4, 217-pounder is a quick study at any football task he tries.
After this sixth day and 12th practice, Patera emphasized that point when he volunteered, "The No. 1 thing that springs to my mind this far is Sherman Smith."
"Steve Raible (out with an injury) and Wayne Johnson (a free agent) have been the outstanding wide receivers. Raible and Sherman Smith dropped only one pass in the first five days of camp.
"Rookie guards Steve Duncanson (free agent) and Jeff Urczyk (16th round draftee) are among lower-ranked players who have a chance to stick a little bit longer."
Pro!, the Official Magazine of the NFL
December 3, 1978
Seahawks Top Chargers, 17-9
Washington Post
August 6, 1978
The Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Diego Chargers, 17-9, Friday night on two touchdowns by running back Sherman Smith and four interceptions by the secondary in the exhibition openeer for both teams.
Smith rushed from two yards out early in the second quarter to cap a 64-yeard Seattle drive and give the Seahawks a 7-0 lead. Seattle quarterback Jim Zorn hit three of five passes on the drive for 42 yards after Seattle cornerback Dave Brown intercepted Bill Munson's pass. Smith's second touchdown, a 4-yard run with 3:38 remaining, put Seattle in front 17.9. Smith also had runs of 10 and nine yards on the final Seattle intercepted a pass by San Diego's Cliff Olander.
Exhibition game - 1976:
On first down Seattle lost 15 yards when Zorn was called for intentionally grounding the ball. But two plays later he hit Andrew Bolton with a 21-yard pass to the 15 and followed with an 11-yard pass to Sherman Smith at the three. Two plays later he hit Howard, a Pasco native who played basketball at Seattle University, with the TD.
Vikings slip past Seahawks 27-21
Minneapolis Tribune
Nov. 15, 1976
By Allan Holbert
With three runs by Sherman Smith, Seattle was at the Vikings 12. Zorn scrambled a bit, gave up trying to find a receiver and ran it in himself for his team's first score.
Seahawks.com
Nov. 17, 1976
Seahawks capture their first regular season victory at home with a 30-13 win over Atlanta. Sherman Smith becomes the first Seattle back to rush for over 100 yards with 124 yards on 14 carries.
Seahawks History
Inside the Seahawks
Vol. 1, No. 14
November 7, 1986-November 13, 1986
By Bob Pruitt
Atlanta scored first, an 18-yard field goal, after Seattle quarterback Jim Zorn fumbled on the Seahawk 9 yard line. Then Seattle made its one "unassisted" scoring drive on the following kick-off. Sherman Smith capped the 80 yard drive by hauling in a 21 yard TD strike from Zorn. Zorn passed for another touchdown to John McMakin only seconds later, after John Leypoldt's kick-off was fumbled by Rick Byas on the Falcon 26.
The third quarter began with a Seahawk drive being stalled near mid-field. Rick Engles punted the ball to the Falcon 6, where Rolland Lawrence took it in and was forced to run for his life by the exceptional Seahawk coverage. With Don Dufek immediately in his face, he retreated laterally back near the end zone where he was caught by a pursuing Dave Brown, who nailed him for the safety.
The next two Seahawk touchdowns were results of great play by the defensive secondary. The first was the Matthews' interception return for 6 points. The other was a Sherman Smith breakaway touchdown run of 53 yards following Brown's second interception.
Seahawks 30-Falcons 13
Seahawks History
Inside the Seahawks
Vol 1 No. 12
October 24, 1986-October 30, 1986
November 20, 1977
By Bob Pruitt
In the fourth quarter, Pastorini continued to dominate the passing game and led a 76-yard drive that ended in a 1-yard TD run by Ron Coleman. Half-way through the quarter, Seattle finally hit pay dirt on a two-yard dive by Sherman Smith. Smith's TD was set up by a 25-yard Steve Myer pass to Don Testerman. It was 20-10 Oilers, with only minutes remaining.Defensively, the Oilers really put a head-lock on the usually high-powered Seahawk passing attack. In the first half, quarterback Jim Zorn was riddled by the Houston defense, completing only 2 passes in l5 attempts for 19 yards. Coach Jack Patera decided to go with 2nd string quarterback Steve Myer in the third quarter, but he did little more than Zorn, going 3 for 8 and 36 yards. Each Seahawk quarterback was sacked twice and each threw an interception. One of the sacks accounted for Houston's final points, as defensive lineman Ken Kennard dropped Myer in the end-zone for a safety. Bum had said that the game was a must win for the Oilers and the whole team played like they believed him. Oilers 22, Seahawks 10.
"Our Best Performance of the Year"
Inside the Seahawks
Vol 1 No. 12
October 24, 1986-October 30, 1986
FC rushing leader, moved to within one of Sherman Smith's club record of 28 rushing touchdowns and he still remains second to Smith in career ground-gaining yardage with 3,228. Smith has 3,429.
Seahawks Beat Jets, End Five-Game Losing Streak
News Services, Washington Post
October 26, 1981
Wide receiver Steve Largent ran 10 yards for one score and caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Jim Zorn to help the Seattle Seahawks end a five-game losing streak with a 19-3 upset of the New York Jets today. Largent ran 10 yards around right end for Seattle's first touchdown late in the first half, and gave the Seahawks a 13-0 lead with his scoring catch early in the second half. Sherman Smith also scored for the Seahawks on a four-yard run in the fourth quarter.
Redskins Rate 4-Point Edge Sunday
September 26, 1980
Source: Jimmy the Greek
The Seattle Seahawks have lost a valuable weapon in running back Sherman Smith, with no quality replacement available. Seattle's Jim Zorn and Washington's Joe Theismann are two of the best young passers in the league.
Seahawks Bombed by Soaring Jets
Inside the Seahawks
Vol. 1, No. 14
November 7, 1986-November 13, 1986
Nothing else had been working for the Seattle Seahawks in recent weeks so Coach Chuck Knox tried an ancient remedy: Change quarterbacks.Although Gale Gilbert, young and inexperienced, gave a good account of himself, that move didn't work either, as the "new look" Seahawks were bombed, 38-7, by the high-flying New York Jets in the Kingdome last Sunday afternoon.
Gilbert, a little-used second-year free agent, replaced an inconsistent - and, at times, ineffective - Dave Krieg as the Seahawks' starting signal-caller, but Seattle's offense continued to stutter and trip and its pass defense collapsed into the ground as the Jets, off to their best start ever, took to the air to record their seventh straight victory, a club record, this season, following a 20-6 loss to New England in Week No. 2.
Largent stretched his NFL record by catching a pass in his 132nd consecutive game, but teammate Curt Warner failed to break Sherman Smith's club-record career yardage record. He needed 63 yards going into today's game to erase Smith's standard, but wound up with only 31 in nine carries.
