MSU’s top 50 football players: No. 46 Ed Smith

This is the fifth in a 50-day summer series counting down the top players in Michigan State football history, as I see them. As with last year’s MSU basketball top 50, the criteria is performance and impact at MSU only, professional career irrelevant. Have your own opinion? Leave a comment or tweet at me @Graham_Couch.

No. 46 - Ed Smith

Quarterback, 1976-78, Pittsburgh

The skinny: Smith provided the arm in the Spartans’ prolific late 1970s passing attack, an offense two decades ahead of the rest of the Big Ten. In 1978, Smith led the conference in passing with 2,226 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and completed 58 percent of his passes as MSU won a share of the Big Ten title in coach Darryl Rogers’ third season. Smith finished his three years at MSU as the Spartans’ career leader in passing attempts, completions, passing yards and completion percentage for QBs with a minimum 100 attempts. - Read more at LSJ.com