Stephen Dunn
Steve Smith, a former Penn State fullback who also played seven seasons with the NFL’s Raiders, has died from Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was 57.
“The Raiders Family is deeply saddened by the passing of Steve Smith, who valiantly battled Lou Gehrig’s Disease for two decades,” the Raiders said in a statement Saturday. “Steve and his wife Chie are an inspiration, smiling every day while always working for a cure for ALS. The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with Chie, their children Dante and Jazmin, and their grandson Little Steve.”
Smith was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis about 20 years ago. He was unable to walk or talk in recent years and communicated, in part, with a computer system.
The Raiders selected Smith in the third round of the 1987 NFL draft out of Penn State, where he helped the Nittany Lions win their last national championship during the 1986 season.
Smith served as the Raiders’ lead blocker for much of his career, blocking for stars such as Bo Jackson, one of the best two-sport athletes of all time. Jackson told the York Daily Record in December of 2019 that he frequently visited with Smith:
“He laid his body on the line for me hundreds of times,” Jackson said. “I’m just glad God let him stay around as long as he has so I can go see him. … I want to do my part to make sure he’s not forgotten.”
Smith ran for 1,627 yards and nine touchdowns on 429 carries and caught 131 passes for 1,250 yards and 13 touchdowns in his NFL career. In addition to the Raiders, he played two seasons with the Seattle Seahawks before retiring after the 1995 campaign.
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