No, you
@BAT and
@DB_Cooper are wrong...
"
Dallas CowboysEdit
Smith was selected by the
Dallas Cowboys in the second round (36th overall) of the
1992 NFL Draft. He missed the first four games after he broke his right
fibula during the Dallas Blue-White Scrimmage on July 19. After missing ample time during the season, he was listed as the fourth wide receiver on the
Dallas Cowboys' depth chart, behind
Michael Irvin,
Alvin Harper, and
Kelvin Martin. On October 11, he made his professional regular season debut during a 27–0 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks. In a Week 16 matchup against the
Atlanta Falcons, Smith had the highlight of his rookie year, tackling
Deion Sanders during a punt return in a 41–17 victory. He played in just seven games as a special-teamer, without registering a reception. The Cowboys finished first in the
NFC East, with a 13–3 record. On January 10, 1993, he appeared in his first career playoff game during the Cowboys' 34–10 win over the
Philadelphia Eagles, playing on
special teams. Smith earned the first ring of his career as a rookie, after the Cowboys went on to
Super Bowl XXVII and defeated the
Buffalo Bills 52–17.
In
1993, he was leading the team in pre-season (13) and receiving yards (197), while competing for the role as the third wide receiver that was left open with the departure in
free agency of
Kelvin Martin, behind Irvin and Harper. On August 21, Smith began feeling a pain in his abdominal area and brought it to the attention of two trainers and the team doctor, J.D. Zamarano, and was given
Pepto Bismol,
Maalox, and
Tagamet. He played in the next preseason game and caught a touchdown reception, and was waved back in by a coach after taking himself out from taking a hit to the abdominal area that worsened the pain. Over the next few days, he repeatedly brought the pain to the attention of the trainers and wasn't given adequate care or the correct diagnosis. He asked to be directed to a doctor and was told to see the team doctor who gave him a checkup and took him to see the team surgeon, who finally diagnosed him with
appendicitis. On August 24, 1993, he underwent an emergency
appendectomy. The following day, the surgeon released him from the hospital, notwithstanding a 102.5 °F (39.2 °C) fever. On August 27, Smith was readmitted to the hospital after waking up in severe pain, vomiting and with a bloated stomach, because of a severe post-surgical infection that was nearly fatal. He went into emergency surgery for an
ileostomy, in which a portion of his intestine was dissected and removed, with an external bag then fitted to collect his fecal matter, forcing Smith to miss the entire season, including
Super Bowl XXVIII.
[2] On October 2, the Cowboys placed him on the non-football illness list and opted not to pay his entire $350,000 salary for the 1993 season, as well as his insurance, pension, and free agent credits, instead making Smith an offer of $100,000 and no credits, which he declined.
[3] The
NFL Players Association filed a grievance with the Cowboys on Smith's behalf, alleging that he was due his full salary, which he won after going through arbitration.
[4]
On July 11,
1994, he was waived after refusing to take a pay cut.
Philadelphia EaglesEdit
On July 19,
1994, he was signed as a
free agent by the
Philadelphia Eagles but was eventually released on August 30.
[5]
Jacksonville JaguarsEdit
On February 28, 1995, Smith was signed by the expansion
Jacksonville Jaguars after a tryout.
[6] He made the team after
head coach Tom Coughlin saw his talents.
[7] He competed with
Desmond Howard,
Ernest Givens,
Willie Jackson,
Cedric Tillman, and
Curtis Marsh throughout training camp for a job as a starting wide receiver. Head coach
Tom Coughlin named him the fifth wide receiver on the depth chart behind Howard, Givens, Jackson, and Tillman. He finished the season leading the Jaguars in kickoff returns.
The next year, he became a starter after
Andre Rison was released following the 11th game against the
Pittsburgh Steelers. He would emerge as a dominant receiver..."
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Smith_(wide_receiver)
As you can see, the NFL said it correctly...as did I. Jimmy Smith was cut "waived" by the Cowboys on July 11, 1994. The Eagles signed him days later on July 19, 1994, but they cut him a month later on August 30, 1994, thus Jimmy Smith never actually made it to a Regular Season to legally ever be considered a Philadelphia Eagle. Jimmy had to wait until February of 1995 until the Jacksonville Jaguars came around and offered him a job. The rest was history...
PS: What a terrible and ****** thing Jerry and the Cowboys front office did to treat Jimmy Smith that way due to an bad appendix that required emergency surgery. That was cold blood awful and so wrong. Karma came back and definitely bit then in the arse. Jimmy Smith made sure of that.
