Oak Smith Explained

Oak Smith
Number:7
Position:End, fullback, halfback, wingback
Birth Date:27 February 1894
Birth Place:Downing, Missouri, U.S.
Death Place:Long Beach, California, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:185
High School:Centerville (Centerville, Iowa)
College:Drake
Pastteams:
Pastcoaching:
  • Occidental (1924–1925)
    Assistant coach
  • Long Beach (1929–1933)
    Head coach
Highlights:
Statlabel1:Games played
Statvalue1:16
Statlabel2:Games started
Statvalue2:9

Okla Eugene Smith (February 27, 1894 – May 2, 1974), nicknamed "Oak" (sometimes spelled "Oke"), was an 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.

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]

Notes and References

  1. News: . Drake Elects Okla Smth . . . November 28, 1915 . 1, sports section . May 10, 2024 . .
  2. News: . Oak Smith, L.B. coach, rites slated . . . May 4, 1974 . C6 . May 10, 2024 . .