Joining the team as a walk-on wide receiver in 1964, Smith caught 9 passes for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns in 9 games.
[6] Smith developed his Redskins career as a running and catching tight end under head coaches Bill McPeak, Otto Graham and most memorably under Vince Lombardi, who had a positive approach to gay players.
After Lombardi's death, under George Allen his role changed to mainly blocking, leading the team to Super Bowl VII at the end of the 1972 season.
In the fourth quarter with the Redskins trailing the Miami Dolphins, quarterback Billy Kilmer tried a pass to Smith who was running across the end zone, but the ball hit the goal post.
Although the Redskins lost the game 14–7, Sports Illustrated called Smith "an outstanding receiver among tight ends, with the ability to break open for a long gain."
In the same year, he was quietly approached by Washington Star journalist Lynn Rosellini regarding her series of gay sports people.
Despite his skills having diminished, coach Allen kept bringing Smith back into the Redskins roster due to his work ethic.
Smith caught 421 passes, including 60 touchdowns, a career record for tight ends at the time and the 17th highest total in NFL history.
[7] His 421 receptions were the third highest total ever by a tight end when he retired, trailing only Hall of Famers Mike Ditka and Jackie Smith.
[9] In 1971, as a part of a USO tour in association with the NFL, Smith, along with other stars John Brown, Butch Byrd, Fred Hoaglin, George Kunz, and Tom Woodeshick, visited and signed autographs for wounded military personnel in Vietnam.
[10] Smith moved back to the support of his family in Silver Spring, Maryland in 1986, where, looking thinner and coughing, he was diagnosed at the Holy Cross Hospital with HIV.
"[7] Smith's sexuality was confirmed after his death by former teammate pro NFL football player David Kopay, who had come out years earlier.