# Stan Smagala > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stan_Smagala > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Stan_Smagala.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Smagala > Source revision: 1352195199 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American football player (born 1968)}} {{Use American English|date=June 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox NFL biography | image = | caption = | number = 42 | position = [Safety](/source/Safety_(American_and_Canadian_football_position)) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1968|04|06}} | birth_place = [Chicago, Illinois](/source/Chicago%2C_Illinois), U.S. | height_ft = 5 | height_in = 10 | weight_lbs = 184 | high_school = [Burbank (IL) St. Laurence](/source/St._Laurence_High_School) | college = [Notre Dame](/source/Notre_Dame_Fighting_Irish_football) | draftyear = 1990 | draftround = 5 | draftpick = 123 | pastteams = * [Dallas Cowboys](/source/Dallas_Cowboys) ({{NFL Year|1990}}–{{NFL Year|1991}}) * [Pittsburgh Steelers](/source/Pittsburgh_Steelers) ({{NFL Year|1992}}) | highlights = | statlabel1 = Games played | statvalue1 = 11 | statlabel2 = | statvalue2 = | pfr = SmagSt20 }} '''Stanley Adam Smagala''' (born April 6, 1968) is an American former professional [football](/source/American_football) player who was a [safety](/source/Safety_(American_and_Canadian_football_position)) in the [National Football League](/source/National_Football_League) (NFL) for the [Dallas Cowboys](/source/Dallas_Cowboys) and [Pittsburgh Steelers](/source/Pittsburgh_Steelers). He played [college football](/source/college_football) for the [Notre Dame Fighting Irish](/source/Notre_Dame_Fighting_Irish_football). ==Early years== Smagala grew up in [Chicago, Illinois](/source/Chicago%2C_Illinois), and attended [St. Laurence High School](/source/St._Laurence_High_School), where he practiced football, [wrestling](/source/wrestling) and [track](/source/track_%26_field). The summer before his senior year, he attended a football camp held by the [University of Notre Dame](/source/University_of_Notre_Dame), where he tied the camp record for the fastest [40-yard dash](/source/40-yard_dash). As a senior [running back](/source/running_back), he posted 140 carries for 900 rushing yards and received All-city honors. He also rushed for 300 yards and three [touchdown](/source/touchdown)s in a playoff game. ==College career== Smagala accepted a football scholarship from the [University of Notre Dame](/source/University_of_Notre_Dame). Although he had never played the position before, he was converted into a [cornerback](/source/cornerback) because he was considered small for a [running back](/source/running_back). Even though head coach [Lou Holtz](/source/Lou_Holtz) tried to convince him to transfer to another school, as a sophomore he was the team's second fastest player (4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash) behind [wide receiver](/source/wide_receiver) [Tim Brown](/source/Tim_Brown_(American_football)) and became a three-year starter at [right cornerback](/source/cornerback).{{cite web| url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/08/21/and-then-there-were-3-how-an-irish-recruiting-bonanza-nearly/ | title=And Then There Were 3: How An Irish Recruiting Bonanza Nearly | access-date=March 30, 2018}} As a junior, he was paired at [cornerback](/source/cornerback) with [Todd Lyght](/source/Todd_Lyght). Due to the teams Notre Dame played, Smagala was required to cover [wide receivers](/source/wide_receivers) like [Andre Rison](/source/Andre_Rison), [Michael Irvin](/source/Michael_Irvin), [Brian Blades](/source/Brian_Blades), [Brett Perriman](/source/Brett_Perriman), [Reggie Rembert](/source/Reggie_Rembert) and [Greg McMurtry](/source/Greg_McMurtry). His most famous play was a 64-yard interception return for a [touchdown](/source/touchdown) against the number 2 ranked [University of Southern California](/source/University_of_Southern_California) in 1988.{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-27-sp-917-story.html | title=Notre Dame Delivers Its 1-2 Punch : USC Turns Contest Into a Bobble for No. 1 Rather Than Classic | website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) | access-date=March 30, 2018}} He also helped the team win a [national championship](/source/NCAA_Division_I_FBS_National_Football_Championship) and achieve a school-record 23-game winning streak. ==Professional career== ===Los Angeles Raiders=== Smagala was selected by the [Los Angeles Raiders](/source/Los_Angeles_Raiders) in the fifth round (123rd overall) of the [1990 NFL draft](/source/1990_NFL_draft),{{Cite web |title=1990 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1990/draft.htm |access-date=2023-05-25 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}} but was immediately traded to the [Dallas Cowboys](/source/Dallas_Cowboys) in exchange for a sixth round (#158-[James Williams](/source/James_Williams_(linebacker%2C_born_1968))), eighth round (#197-[Arthur Jimerson](/source/Arthur_Jimerson)), ninth round (#230-[Leon Perry](/source/Leon_Perry)), tenth round (#259-[Jim Szymanski](/source/Jim_Szymanski)) and an eleventh round (#304-Myron Jones) draft choice.{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-23-sp-284-story.html | title=The NFL Draft : Round By Round | website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) | access-date=March 30, 2018}} ===Dallas Cowboys=== On September 23, [1990](/source/1990_NFL_season), he suffered a broken left forearm while helping force a fumble against the [Washington Redskins](/source/Washington_Redskins) and was placed on the [injured reserve list](/source/injured_reserve_list).{{cite web| url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/1990/09/24/with-passes-penalty-flags-redskins-drop-everything-but-game-to-cowboys/ | title= With passes, penalty flags, Redskins drop everything but game to Cowboys | access-date=March 30, 2018}} In that game, he also saw action at [strong safety](/source/strong_safety). He finished the season with 2 [special teams](/source/special_teams) tackles and one [quarterback](/source/quarterback) pressure. He was waived on August 26, [1991](/source/1991_NFL_season). On October 17, he was re-signed to replace first-year player [Donald Smith](/source/Donald_Smith_(defensive_back)).{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19910827&id=5bkcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=43sEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6188,1123098&hl=es | title=Transactions | accessdate=March 30, 2018}}{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=861&dat=19911018&id=WpVHAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Sn8MAAAAIBAJ&pg=3362,2875003&hl=es | title=Cowboys Release Dixon | accessdate=March 30, 2018}} He appeared in 8 games, playing mainly on [special teams](/source/special_teams) and making 8 tackles. ===Pittsburgh Steelers=== On April 2, [1992](/source/1992_NFL_season), the [Pittsburgh Steelers](/source/Pittsburgh_Steelers) signed Smagala as a [Plan B free agent](/source/Plan_B_free_agency).{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2519&dat=19920403&id=1IJeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-WENAAAAIBAJ&pg=5295,832642&hl=es | title=Steelers Sign 3 | accessdate=March 30, 2018}} He was placed on the [injured reserve list](/source/injured_reserve_list) with a knee injury on September 1.{{cite web| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-09-02-sp-6256-story.html | title=Transactions | website=[Los Angeles Times](/source/Los_Angeles_Times) | access-date=March 30, 2018}} He was released on August 22, [1993](/source/1993_NFL_season).{{cite web| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19930823&id=oa5RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YG4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3858,4027344&hl=es | title=Smagala, Didio Among 9 Steelers Cuts | accessdate=March 30, 2018}} ==Personal life== After football, he worked for a Real Estate Development company. ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20160602192748/http://articles.philly.com/1988-11-28/sports/26244288_1_lou-holtz-notre-dame-stan-smagala Notre Dame's Smagala Enjoys Fantasy Weekend] {{1988 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football navbox}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Smagala, Stan}} Category:1968 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from Chicago Category:American football safeties Category:Notre Dame Fighting Irish football players Category:Dallas Cowboys players Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:American people of Polish descent Category:20th-century American sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Stan Smagala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Smagala) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Smagala?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.