Mercer Bears | |
---|---|
Position | Halfback |
Class | Graduate |
Personal information | |
Born: | Fayetteville, Tennessee, U.S. | June 26, 1905
Died: | October 27, 1985 Palm Beach County, Florida, U.S. | (aged 80)
Career history | |
College | Mercer (1925–1927) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Joseph Farrar "Phoney" Smith [1] (June 26, 1905 – October 27, 1985) was an American college football player and high school coach and athletic director.
"Phoney" was a prominent halfback for the Mercer Baptists of Mercer University. His brother was Crook Smith. He was elected to the Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971, [2] and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1969. [3] Smith was a teammate of later Georgia coach Wally Butts and played for coach Bernie Moore. [4]
Smith was selected All-Southern in 1927. [5] called by one writer "the best athlete who ever put on a Mercer uniform." [6] Smith was the first Southern player to cross the goal line against the " dream and wonder" team of Georgia on a 95-yard kickoff. [7]
In the late 1920s, he went on to play semi-pro football with the Ironton Tanks in Ironton, Ohio, a team that was the forerunner of the Cleveland Browns. [3] [7] [8]
Smith was a coach and athletic director at South Broward High School, where he taught for more than 20 years. [3]
phoney smith mercer.
Mercer Bears | |
---|---|
Position | Halfback |
Class | Graduate |
Personal information | |
Born: | Fayetteville, Tennessee, U.S. | June 26, 1905
Died: | October 27, 1985 Palm Beach County, Florida, U.S. | (aged 80)
Career history | |
College | Mercer (1925–1927) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Joseph Farrar "Phoney" Smith [1] (June 26, 1905 – October 27, 1985) was an American college football player and high school coach and athletic director.
"Phoney" was a prominent halfback for the Mercer Baptists of Mercer University. His brother was Crook Smith. He was elected to the Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame in 1971, [2] and the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1969. [3] Smith was a teammate of later Georgia coach Wally Butts and played for coach Bernie Moore. [4]
Smith was selected All-Southern in 1927. [5] called by one writer "the best athlete who ever put on a Mercer uniform." [6] Smith was the first Southern player to cross the goal line against the " dream and wonder" team of Georgia on a 95-yard kickoff. [7]
In the late 1920s, he went on to play semi-pro football with the Ironton Tanks in Ironton, Ohio, a team that was the forerunner of the Cleveland Browns. [3] [7] [8]
Smith was a coach and athletic director at South Broward High School, where he taught for more than 20 years. [3]
phoney smith mercer.