His last name was common. His ability at quarterback wasn't.

Eddie Smith was a standout quarterback at Central Catholic in the mid-1970s. He preceded Dan Marino at Central Catholic by a few years and, like Marino, was terrific for the Vikings. Smith was one of the last QBs for Central Catholic before the Vikings joined the WPIAL in 1975.

Smith was an excellent runner and passer and led Central Catholic to great success in the Pittsburgh Catholic League and the 1973 Vikings were considered one of the best teams in the state, public or private school. They finished 8-1, with the only loss coming in the season finale against State College.

He was recruited by a number of major colleges before signing with Michigan State. He had an outstanding career at Michigan State and helped the 1978 Spartans win the first Big Ten title at the school in 12 seasons. He led the Big Ten Conference in total yardage in 1978.

Smith went on to play for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League. His brother, Danny, is the special teams coach for the Steelers.

First Published: September 20, 2013, 4:00 a.m.