Okla Eugene Smith (February 27, 1894 – May 2, 1974), nicknamed "Oak" (sometimes spelled "Oke" ), was a American football player and coach. He played professionally as an end, fullback, and wingback for two seasons, from 1920 to 1921, with the Rock Island Independents of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was renamed as the National Football League (NFL) in 1922. He was a first-team selection on the 1920 All-Pro Team. Smith served as the head football coach at Long Beach Junior College—now known as Long Beach City College (LBCC)—from 1929 to 1933.
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| Position: | End, fullback, halfback, wingback | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | February 27, 1894 Downing, Missouri, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | May 2, 1974 (aged 80) Long Beach, California, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Centerville (Centerville, Iowa) | ||||
| College: | Drake | ||||
| Career history | |||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| First-team All-Pro (1920) | |||||
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Smith attended Drake University, where lettered football, basketball, and track. He football as a halfback and fullback, basketball as a center, and ran the half-mile in track. He was elected the captain of the 1916 Drake football team.[1]
Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California (USC). He coached football and basketball at Occidental College in Los Angeles. Smith died on May 2, 1974.[2]
References edit
- ^ "Drake Elects Okla Smth". The Des Moines Register and Leader. Des Moines, Iowa. November 28, 1915. p. 1, sports section. Retrieved May 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com
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- ^ "Oak Smith, L.B. coach, rites slated". Independent Press-Telegram. Long Beach, California. May 4, 1974. p. C6. Retrieved May 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
External links edit
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
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