| No. 26 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | July 14, 1911 Carrollton, Mississippi | ||||||||||||||
| Died: | August 9, 1999 (aged 88) Mobile, Alabama | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | Columbus (Columbus, Mississippi) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Alabama | ||||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1936 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| As player: | |||||||||||||||
| As coach: | |||||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||||
Riley Smith | |
|---|---|
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service/ |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1945 |
| Rank | ){kind=small} Lieutenant Commander |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
Riley Henry Smith (July 14, 1911 – August 9, 1999) was an American football player, a quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) during the late 1930s. He played college football for the University of Alabama, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American. After his NFL career ended, he became a coach.[1]
Early life
Born in Carrollton, Mississippi, Smith played high school football for Greenwood High School, then moved to Columbus and played at Columbus High School.[2]
College career
Smith attended the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, where he played quarterback for the Crimson Tide. He was a passer and runner, but could also block, punt, kick extra points, and boot field goals.[2] He was part of the 1934 team that won the Rose Bowl, was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American in 1935, and also won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the best blocker in the Southeastern Conference.[2]
Smith played in the East-West Shrine Game and the College All-Star Game.
Professional playing career
Smith was the second player chosen (behind Jay Berwanger) in the first-ever 1936 NFL Draft. In 1936 and 1937 he missed only three minutes in 26 Redskins games, but an injury ended his playing career early.[2]
Coaching career and later life
After retirement as a player, Smith became an assistant coach at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, where he was the backfield coach in 1939 in 1940, then succeeded Warren E. Tilson as head coach in 1941.[3] He served in the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant commander from 1942 to 1945 and then became a real estate developer in Mobile, Alabama.[2]
Head coaching record
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington and Lee Generals (Southern Conference) (1941) | |||||||||
| 1941 | Washington and Lee | 1–6–2 | 1–2–2 | 10th | |||||
| Washington and Lee: | 1–6–2 | 1–2–2 | |||||||
| Total: | 1–6–2 | ||||||||
References
- ^ "Former Tide great Riley Smith, 88, dies". Tuscaloosa News. (Alabama). Associated Press. August 11, 1999. p. 1C.
- ^ a b c d e "Riley Smith's College Football HOF profile". College Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved October 28, 2014.
- ^ "Washington And Lee Puts Smith Into Tilson's Place". Rocky Mount Telegram. Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Associated Press. April 21, 1941. p. 6. Retrieved August 20, 2019 – via Newspapers.com
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