Smoking On The NFL Sidelines

In April, we discussed sniffing smelling salts on the sidelines of an NFL game. We never talked about getting in your pack a day, and the occasional smoke on the sidelines happened too.

The King of the Smokes

Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff was the king of the smokes, and his propensity for puffing remains infamous Raiders folklore. It’s not surprising that Fred was free to get up to no good. If the worst thing a Raider did during a game was get his nicotine fix, that wouldn’t even register over the chaos of the Soul Patrol and his other teammates.

There’s No Bad Place to Smoke

Biletnikoff would chain smoke everywhere he went. The only times he would stop for the shortest periods of time possible would be when he was a) getting sick in a trashcan, b) playing on the field, or c) in front of his mother. Just kidding on that last one—Fred wasn’t the type to put down the cigarette for anyone.

But… How?

Like most things Raiders from this era, it’s best not to ask. Certainly some people knew how Fred did it, but it’s not for us to know. What we do know is that Fred would allegedly sneak cigarettes onto the sidelines and puff until it was his turn again. He would probably smoke during the play if he could figure out how to maneuver it.

Rumor has it that when Biletnikoff’s hands were covered in flammable Stickum, he would get another player to hold his cigarette while he smoked it on the sidelines. Fred said he never smoked around the Stickum for fear of catching fire, but it’s hard to tell what’s truth and what’s folklore on that one.

Was Fred Biletnikoff Alone?

Absolutely not. The infamous photo of quarterback Len Dawson proves that. As the story goes, the 1960s Kansas City Chief locker room looked like a speakeasy with so much smoke in the air you couldn’t see. That is, if you’re asking Fred Arbanas, a former Kansas City tight end. If you ask lineman Bobby Bell, he would say that only one or two people would do it, not the entire locker room.

Technically, both men could be right at the same time. Depending on the size and air flow in the locker room, if you had a chimney like Biletnikoff, the air could become hazardous quickly. Every locker room stall had an ashtray in 1972, when the Arrowhead Stadium locker room opened. It wasn’t likely there for decoration.

Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds

This article would be remiss without mentioning the rumor that Hacksaw Reynolds laid down on a bench during a game and smoked a cigarette.

Every lineman in the 1970s and 1980s deserved more than a cigarette for all the injuries and permanent brain trauma they sustained smashing helmets every play. Let the man take a rest!

Honorable Mentions

Ken Stabler and Jack Lambert were also frequent smokers at games. These greats literally sacrificed their minds, bodies, and teeth for the game. They can smoke all they want, wherever they want. Just like every other guy on this list. That’s 1970s football, baby!