Phoney Smith
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fayetteville, Tennessee, U.S.
Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S.
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Halfback |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 26, 1905 Fayetteville, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Died | October 27, 1985 (aged 80) Pompano Beach, Florida, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| College | Mercer (1925–1927) |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
Joseph Farrar "Phoney" Smith[1] (June 26, 1905 – October 27, 1985) was an American college football player and high school coach and athletic director.
1927
"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]
Semi pro ball
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]
