Smith played college football at Tennessee A&I University (now Tennessee State University), where he set numerous school records for punt returns.
[1] Known as "Super Gnat" for his short stature and light weight—he was listed at 5-6 1/4 and 154 pounds—he was the smallest-sized player in the AFL or NFL of his era.
In his rookie season with the Chiefs in 1967, Smith led the American Football League in kickoff return yardage with 1,360 yards.
On December 17, 1967, Smith returned a kickoff 106 yards for a touchdown, which held the record for longest kickoff return in Kansas City Chiefs history for 49 years until Knile Davis broke it on January 9, 2016.
Smith retired in 2013 after 43 years with the city of Jackson, Mississippi Parks & Recreation Department.