Crook Smith

Byron Lambert "Crook" Smith (March 21, 1899 – March 3, 1990) was a college football and basketball player and coach inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.[1]

Crook Smith

Biographical details
Born	March 21, 1899 Fayetteville, Tennessee
Died	March 3, 1990 (aged 90) Tennessee
Playing career
Football
1922–1923	Mercer
Position(s)	End
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1929–1942	South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers
Basketball
1930–1942	South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers
Baseball
1933–1935	South Georgia Teachers
Head coaching record
Overall	45–66–7 (football) 116–60 (basketball) 32–20 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
All-Southern (1922, 1923) Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

Mercer University

Smith earned 13 letters in football, baseball, basketball, and track for the Mercer Bears. He was inducted into the Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1971.[2] "Crook" was the brother of Phoney Smith.

Football

Smith was a prominent end on the football team.[3]

1922

He was selected All-Southern.[4][5]

1923

He was selected All-Southern by Julian Leggett of the Macon News.[3][6]

Coaching career

Georgia Southern

Smith coached the Georgia Southern Eagles team of Georgia Southern University (then known as Georgia Teacher's College) from 1929 to 1942. His basketball teams compiled a 116–60 record.[1][7] His 1939 football team won the Bacardi Bowl.

Head coaching record

Football

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers Blue Tide (Independent) (1929–1941)
1929	South Georgia Teachers	4–3–2
1930	South Georgia Teachers	3–4–2
1931	South Georgia Teachers	3–6
1932	South Georgia Teachers	6–2
1933	South Georgia Teachers	5–3
1934	South Georgia Teachers	4–6
1935	South Georgia Teachers	3–3–2
1936	South Georgia Teachers	2–8
1937	South Georgia Teachers	2–9
1938	South Georgia Teachers	3–5–1
1939	Georgia Teachers	5–5
1940	Georgia Teachers	3–5
1941	Georgia Teachers	2–8
South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers:		45–66–7
Total:		45–66–7

References

1. "B.L. "Crook" Smith" (PDF).
2. "Mercer Hall of Fame".
3. Robert E Wilder (2011). Gridiron Glory Days. p. 45. ISBN 9780881462678.
4. "Georgia Tech Has Four on All-Southern Team". Richmond Times Dispatch. December 10, 1922.
5. Cliff Wheatley (December 10, 1922). "Al Staton, Davis, Whelchel Frye, Roberts, Cobington, Bennett, Fletcher Picked". Atlanta Constitution. p. 3. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "The Telegraph's All-Southern". Mercer Cluster. December 7, 1923. pp. 3, 6.
7. Delma E. Presley (September 30, 2013). Georgia Southern University. p. 91. ISBN 9781439644027.

External links

• Crook Smith at Find a Grave