Hall of Fame
Position: Guard
Years: 1937-1939
Place of Birth: Russellville, MO
Date of Birth: Aug 26, 1918
Date of Death: Jul 30, 2013
Jersey Number: 70
Height: 5-11
Weight: 211
High School: Ontario, CA (Chaffey HS)
Harry "Blackjack" Smith was only a teenager when he went to the movies in Ontario, California, one afternoon in 1931. The featured attraction? Highlights of Southern California's 16-14 upset victory over Notre Dame. This, said Smith, made him dream of someday playing for Southern California. He enrolled there in 1936, was freshman football captain in 1937 and a three- year starter at guard on the varsity. He anchored the line on USC Rose Bowl squads after the 1938 and 1939 seasons, earning All-America honors each year. The 1938 team finished 9-2-0 and defeated Duke, 7-3, in the Rose Bowl. The next season, the Trojans finished 8-0-2 as national champions, and the record included a 14-0 Rose Bowl conquest of Tennessee. Southern Cal beat Notre Dame in each of those seasons?by a 13-0 score in 1938 and a 20-12 margin in 1939. Following graduation, Smith served as an assistant coach at Missouri and Southern Cal before becoming head coach of the Canadian Football League's team in Saskatchewan.
