Hall of Fame
Position: Guard
Years: 1925-1927
Place of Birth: Hartford, CT
Date of Birth: Dec 12, 1904
Place of Death: West Hartford, CT
Date of Death: May 11, 1973
Jersey Number: 43
Height: 5-9
Weight: 164
High School: Hartford, CT (Hartford HS)
It was the fall of 1925. The Four Horsemen were gone. The Seven Mules were gone. Notre Dame football fortunes stood in the shadow of a huge rebuilding task for coach Knute Rockne . His Irish finished 7-2-1 that season, and renewed greatness was at hand. A guard named John Smith was sharpening the talents that would make him the equal of Mule linemen Rip Miller and Adam Walsh. Over the next two years, Notre Dame was to chalk up a 16-2-1 slate, and Smith was to become the driving force within the Irish line. They called him "Clipper" and, indeed, he moved with all the smoothness and grace of a fine clipper ship. He was quick, precise and powerful at his position. Once the "Clipper" moved into a starting position, the Irish fortunes were back on the glory road. In 1926, they posted a 9-1 mark, losing only to Carnegie Tech, 19-0. The following year, Smith captained the club to a 7-1-1 record and earned All-America honors. The only loss was to arch rival Army, 18-0, and the tie was a 7-7 knot with Minnesota. The 5-9, 164-pound Smith had been the star in the trenches that season. Immediately following graduation, Smith joined Rockne's staff as line coach. Eleven years later, he became personnel adviser for Pratt & Whitney, a position he held for 24 years.
