What happened to Don Smerek? Former Cowboys DL dead at 66

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Don Smerek has died. The former Cowboys star passed away last week after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Don Smerek was a staple of the Cowboys in the 1980s, and he will be remembered for his grit on the Gridiron. The Nevada alum is survived by his wife, three brothers, a sister and some nieces and nephews. His sister, Debbie Nye, said the family will have a memorial service later this month at Henderson in his honor.

Following his passing, Dallas Cowboys legend Randy White spoke graciously about his former teammate's impact on the Gridiron.

White said:

"He was a great teammate, a great person. He was a solid football player, and I can always count on him. He would come in on third downs and rush the passer, and the thing about Don, as a football player, was that he was 100 percent."

White further reminisced about their time off the Gridiron and away from the bright lights of the NFL, saying:

"A great teammate playing football, and we became really great friends off the field. He used to be my fishing partner, and we used to go fishing and do all the things that go along with that."

Don Smerek's NFL career

Don Smerek played college football for the University of Nevada, an NCAA Division II institution. He was a key member of the football team and helped the team to a historic undefeated season as a senior. For his efforts, he earned All-Big Sky honors.

Despite his heroics in Nevada, Smerek went undrafted in the 1980 NFL Draft. However, the Dallas Cowboys saw an opportunity and promptly signed Smerek as an undrafted free agent.

Smerek went on to enjoy a productive eight-year career in Dallas. A one-franchise player, he played both defensive tackle and defensive end. During his eight-year career, he replaced an injured John Dutton and a just-retired Harvey Martin.

He retired from football in 1988 with 14.5 sacks in 69 games. He's remembered as a serviceable backup who always gave his all for America's Team.