Smokey Stover (football player)
Encyclopedia
Stewart Lynn "Smokey" Stover (born August 24, 1938) is a former American
college
fullback
and professional
football
linebacker
.
Stover was raised in Oilton, Oklahoma
and Vidaway, Oklahoma
, and attended a military high school
in Claremore, Oklahoma
. He played football at Murray State College
in Tishomingo, Oklahoma
and at the University of Louisiana at Monroe
, where he was later elected to first class of the school's hall of fame in 1978.
When he was signed in 1960 as an original Dallas Texan
in the American Football League
, head coach
Hank Stram
converted him to a top linebacker with excellent reflexes. He played for the Texans in their classic double-overtime victory over the two-time defending AFL Champion Houston Oilers in 1962, and for the Kansas City Chiefs
when they won the 1966 AFL title, once again over a two-time defending AFL Champion, this time the Buffalo Bills
, and played in the first AFL-NFL World Championship
game. After leaving the Chiefs following the 1966 AFL season, Stover played for the Canadian Football League
's Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, winning the Grey Cup
with them in 1967
. After his football career, he moved to Lafayette, Louisiana
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
and professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
.
Stover was raised in Oilton, Oklahoma
Oilton, Oklahoma
Oilton is a city in Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,099 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Oilton is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
and Vidaway, Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, and attended a military high school
Rogers State University
Rogers State University is a public, co-educational university located in Claremore, Oklahoma with branch campuses in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and Pryor Creek, Oklahoma. Since it began offering bachelor's degrees in 2000, it has outpaced the growth of all other public universities in Oklahoma...
in Claremore, Oklahoma
Claremore, Oklahoma
Claremore is a city and the county seat of Rogers County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 18,581 at the 2010 census, a 17.1 percent increase from 15,873 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and home to Rogers State University...
. He played football at Murray State College
Murray State College
Murray State College, is a public, co-educational community college located in southeastern Oklahoma with the main campus located in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. The college is named in honor of former Oklahoma Governor William H...
in Tishomingo, Oklahoma
Tishomingo, Oklahoma
Tishomingo is the largest city and the county seat of Johnston County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 3,162 at the 2000 census. It was the first capital of the Chickasaw Nation. Murray State College, a community college, with an annual enrollment of 1,600 students is located in...
and at the University of Louisiana at Monroe
University of Louisiana at Monroe
The University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
, where he was later elected to first class of the school's hall of fame in 1978.
When he was signed in 1960 as an original Dallas Texan
History of the Kansas City Chiefs
The following is a detailed history of the Kansas City Chiefs, a professional American football franchise that began play in 1960 as the Dallas Texans...
in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, head coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Hank Stram
Hank Stram
Henry Louis "Hank" Stram was an American football coach. He is best known for his 15-year tenure with the American Football League's Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs and the Chiefs of the NFL. Stram won three AFL Championships and Super Bowl IV with the Chiefs...
converted him to a top linebacker with excellent reflexes. He played for the Texans in their classic double-overtime victory over the two-time defending AFL Champion Houston Oilers in 1962, and for the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
when they won the 1966 AFL title, once again over a two-time defending AFL Champion, this time the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and played in the first AFL-NFL World Championship
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
game. After leaving the Chiefs following the 1966 AFL season, Stover played for the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
's Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, winning the Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
with them in 1967
55th Grey Cup
The 55th Grey Cup was played between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Saskatchewan Roughriders on December 2, 1967, at Lansdowne Park in Ottawa, before 31,358 fans and was won by the Tiger-Cats by a score of 24 to 1.- Box Score :First Quarter...
. After his football career, he moved to Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
.