Robert Smith was a running back who starred at Ohio State and later for the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. He was often regarded as one of the smartest players in the game, and one of the fastest. He was known for his academic hobbies including Astronomy and Medicine. He also starred in Track and Field while at Ohio State.

While at Ohio State he sat out a year to focus on his academic pursuits.

He was selected in the first round by the Vikings in 1993, and had a number of ailments in his first few seasons. He finally broke through in 1997, gaining 1,266 yards and had several seasons in a row over 1,000 yards. In 2000, his best year, he lead the NFC in rushing with 1521 yards. He immediately retired after the season, despite being at the peak of his career and likely being elligible for a huge contract the following season.

Among the reasons for retiring were that he had made enough money and wanted to walk away from the game before suffering a permanent injury. He has lead a largely private life since his retirement.

(stats from pro-football-reference.com)