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Titans Honor Oilers Legend After Death

The Tennessee Titans sent their support after the passing of the Oilers star.

Jeremy Brener

Oct 29, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; View of the throwback Houston Oilers helmet the Tennessee Titans will wear against the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 29, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; View of the throwback Houston Oilers helmet the Tennessee Titans will wear against the Atlanta Falcons at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports / Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
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The Tennessee Titans are mourning the loss of former defensive lineman Doug Smith, who passed away on Thursday at the age of 64 due to a heart attack.

The Titans honored Smith on social media following the news of his passing.

The news of Smith's heart attack was very unexpected, according to his wife Becky.

“It was unexpected,” Becky Smith told former KRIV sports director Mark Berman. “Two months ago, he got a clean bill of health for his heart. He went to his cardiologist and [the tests] came back his heart was good, but you know we know even healthy people can have a heart attack.”

His son, Doug Jr., took to social media to thank the Titans organization for the well wishes.

"Like always we appreciate Ms. Amy [Adams Strunk] and the entire Titans organization," Smith Jr. posted.

Smith was selected by the Houston Oilers with the No. 29 overall pick in the 1984 NFL Draft out of Auburn, but he didn't end up signing with the team right away. Instead, he joined the USFL's Birmingham Stallions in 1985 and played his first professional season with them. He was able to come to an agreement with the Oilers ahead of the 1985 season and played eight years with the organization.

Smith became a regular starter for the Oilers in 1987 and recorded his first and only interception in 1988. Throughout his career, Smith had 14 sacks and helped the Oilers make the playoffs for six consecutive years from 1987-92. Unfortunately for the Oilers, they could not pull out a trip to the Super Bowl in any of those years. However, those teams are remembered by many in the Houston area and Smith was viewed as an anchor for the defensive line throughout those years.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

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