American Football Database
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Noland Smith
No. 1, 46     
WR/RS
Personal information
Date of birth: (1943-10-20) October 20, 1943 (age 80)
Place of birth: Jackson, Mississippi
Career information
College: Tennessee State University
NFL Draft: 1967 / Round: 6 / Pick: 156
Debuted in 1967 for the [[{{{debutteam}}}]]
Last played in 1969 for the [[{{{finalteam}}}]]
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • No notable achievements
Punt returns (yards)     63 (635)
Kick returns (yards)     82 (2,137)
Touchdowns     2
Stats at NFL.com

Noland "Super Gnat" Smith (born October 20, 1943 in Jackson, Mississippi) is a former American football wide receiver/return specialist for the Kansas City Chiefs (1967–1969) in the American Football League and San Francisco 49ers (1969) in the National Football League.

College career[]

Smith played college football at Tennessee A&I University (now Tennessee State University) where he set numerous school records for punt returns. Smith holds the school records for career punt returns (100); punt return yardage in a game (243), and season (572); career punt return yardage (1,933); highest average per punt return for a season (19.0) and a career (19.3); and most punt return touchdowns during a season (4) and a career (9).

Professional career[]

Known as "Super Gnat" for his very small height and weight, probably the smallest-sized player in the AFL or NFL of his era, Smith was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the sixth round of the 1967 AFL Draft. In his rookie season with the Chiefs in 1967, Smith led the American Football League in kickoff return yardage with 1360 yards. On December 17, 1967, Smith returned a kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown, still the longest kickoff return in Kansas City Chiefs history. Smith currently ranks 18th on the NFL's all-time kick return average List with 26.06 yards per return.

During his three seasons in the NFL with the Chiefs and 49ers, Smith was hardly ever used except for kick returns, with 63 punt returns for 635 yards and 1 touchdown and 82 kickoff returns for 2,137 yards and 1 touchdown, but only three rushing attempts for 6 yards, two pass receptions for 57 yards.

After football[]

He appeared as "Superbug" in the 1970 movie MASH.[1]

He is now working at Medgar Evers community center in Jackson, Mississippi on Edward ave and also a part-time motivational speaker.

References[]

External links[]


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