Hall of Fame
Position: Tackle
Years: 1930-1932
Place of Birth: Spearfish, SD
Date of Birth: Nov 26, 1909
Place of Death: Los Angeles, CA
Date of Death: Apr 25, 1985
Jersey Number: 48
Height: 6-2
Weight: 215
High School: Spearfish, SD (Spearfish HS)Gardenea, CA (Gardenea HS)
A legendary tackle under famed Howard Jones of Southern Cal, big Ernie Smith's playing weight was 215 pounds, well- packed on a 6-2 frame. Versatile, as well as destructive in the line, he handled the place-kicking and the kickoffs for the men of Troy. He was cited by his coach as a man who always gave his best and rival coach Babe Hollingbery went a step further to say that "Ernie Smith is the best tackle I have ever seen." He played prominent roles in the Trojan Rose Bowl triumphs over Tulane as a junior and against Pittsburgh as a senior. While in college, he was a member of the USC marching band as a trombone player. He was assistant football coach at Southern California two years, was a major in the United States Air Force 1940-45, and became an insurance underwriter. He worked with the Boy Scouts, was on the Rose Bowl Committee, an officer of the Southern California Symphony, and president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Football Foundation.
