Stan Smagala
| No. 42 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Safety | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | April 6, 1968 | ||
| Place of birth: | Chicago, Illinois | ||
| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Weight: | 184 lb (83 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Burbank (IL) St. Laurence | ||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1990 / Round: 5 / Pick: 123 | ||
| Career history | |||
| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
Stanley Adam Smagala (born April 6, 1968) is a former American football safety in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at the University of Notre Dame.
Early years
Smagala grew up in Chicago, Illinois and attended St. Laurence High School, where he played as a running back. He accepted a scholarship from the University of Notre Dame, where he was converted to cornerback.
Although head coach Lou Holtz tried to convince him to transfer to another school, at one point he was the team's second fastest player (4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash) behind wide receiver Tim Brown and eventually became a three-year starter at right cornerback.[1]
His most famous play was a 64-yard interception return for a touchdown against the number 2 ranked University of Southern California in 1988.[2] He also helped the team win a national championship and a school-record 23-game winning streak.
Professional career
Los Angeles Raiders
Smagala was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders in the fifth round (123rd overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft, but was immediately traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a sixth round (#158-James Williams), eighth round (#197-Arthur Jimerson), ninth round (#230-Leon Perry), tenth round (#259-Jim Szymanski) and an eleventh round (#304-Myron Jones) draft choice.[3]
Dallas Cowboys
On September 23, 1990, he suffered a broken left forearm while playing against the Washington Redskins and was placed on the injured reserve list.[4] He was waived on August 26, 1991. On October 17, he was re-signed to replace first-year player Donald Smith.[5][6] He appeared in 8 games, playing mainly on special teams and making 8 tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers
On April 2, 1992, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed Smagala as a Plan B free agent.[7] He was placed on the injured reserve list with a knee injury on September 1.[8] He was released on August 22, 1993.[9]
Personal life
After football he worked for a Real Estate Development company.
References
- ↑ "And Then There Were 3: How An Irish Recruiting Bonanza Nearly". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Notre Dame Delivers Its 1-2 Punch : USC Turns Contest Into a Bobble for No. 1 Rather Than Classic". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "The NFL Draft : Round By Round". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "With passes, penalty flags, Redskins drop everything but game to Cowboys". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Transactions". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Cowboys Release Dixon". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Steelers Sign 3". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Transactions". Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ↑ "Smagala, Didio Among 9 Steelers Cuts". Retrieved April 30, 2016.