When the Jacksonville Jaguars spent their inaugural 1995 draft building a franchise foundation, nobody expected the cornerstone of their offense to arrive via a tryout for a former castoff. Drafted out of Jackson State by Dallas in 1992, Jimmy Smith spent his early years enduring severe abdominal illness, an appendectomy, and a year out of football entirely after brief pitstops with the Cowboys and Eagles yielded zero catches. Jacksonville handed him a second chance, and Smith turned it into one of the most remarkable career-resurrecting acts in NFL history.

Smith demonstrated a silky smooth stride, explosive vertical speed, and remarkable body control on deep boundary routes. He formed the renowned "Thunder and Lightning" duo with Keenan McCardell. Opposing cornerbacks struggled to handle his releases and cover his range along the sidelines. Together with Mark Brunell, Smith quickly became a matchup nightmare, turning Jacksonville from a new expansion team into a consistent AFC contender that made it to two conference title games in its first five years.

After a quiet 22-catch introduction during the Jaguars' maiden 1995 season, Smith broke out in 1996 with 83 receptions for 1,244 yards, kicking off an absolute reign of terror. Over the next nine seasons, he breached the 1,000-yard receiving mark eight times. His best season came in 1999, when he led the NFL with 116 receptions for a career-high 1,636 yards and six touchdowns, leading Jacksonville to a league-best 14–2 regular-season record.

While debate often swirled between Smith and franchise icon Tony Boselli, the statistics are undeniable. Smith ranks first in franchise history by a massive margin in Approximate Value (135), providing elite production and incredible longevity across 11 seasons. Even in his final NFL season at age 36 in 2005, Smith showed zero signs of regression, racking up 1,023 yards and six touchdowns before abruptly stepping away on his own terms.

Though secondary struggles after his retirement and a lack of early-career fanfare have kept him outside Canton's gates, Smith remains the undisputed offensive king of Duval County.

As a Jaguar, Smith compiled 862 receptions, 12,287 receiving yards, and 67 receiving touchdowns in Teal and Black—all franchise records that still stand today—alongside two early ring credentials from his inactive Dallas tenure. A five-time Pro Bowler (1997–2001), two-time Second-Team All-Pro, 1999 NFL receptions leader, and member of the Pride of the Jaguars (2016), Smith stands as the ultimate icon of Jaguars football.