Gideon Edward Smith (July 13, 1889 – May 6, 1968), sometimes referred to as G. E. Smith, was an American football player and coach.
 | |
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 13, 1889 Norfolk County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 6, 1968 (aged 78) Salem, Virginia, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1915 | Michigan Agricultural |
| 1916 | Canton Bulldogs |
| Position | Tackle |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1919 | Virginia State |
| 1921–1940 | Hampton |
| Administrative career (AD unless noted) | |
| 1955–1958 | EIAC (president) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 104–46–13 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 5 CIAA (1922, 1925–1926, 1928, 1931) | |
Smith played college football at Michigan Agricultural College (MAC), now known as Michigan State University, from 1913 to 1915. He was the first African-American varsity athlete in any sport at MAC.[1]
Smith also played one game of professional football while still attending MAC. He appeared as a tackle in one game for the Canton Bulldogs of the Ohio League, becoming one of the first African-Americans to play professional football. He played for the Bulldogs as a late fourth-quarter substitute on November 28, 1916, against their rivals, the Massillon Tigers. During that game he made a game-saving fumble recovery that preserved a 6–0 Canton victory over the Tigers for the "state championship." Smith was the last African-American to play professional football exclusively prior to the formation of the National Football League.[2][3][4]
After graduating from MAC in 1916, Smith became a teacher at the West Virginia Collegiate Institute, now known as West Virginia State University.[5] He also served in 1920 as a teacher at the Virginia State College for Negroes—now known as Virginia State University—in Matoaca, Virginia.[6]
In 1921, Smith became the head football coach at Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University, in Hampton, Virginia.
Smith served as president of the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) from December 1955 to December 1958.[7][8] He died on May 6, 1968, at Veterans Administration Hospital in Salem, Virginia, following a long illness.[9] He was inducted into the Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.[10]
Head coaching record
edit| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl/playoffs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia State Trojans () (1919) | |||||||||
| 1919 | Virginia State | 5–1–1 | |||||||
| Virginia State: | 5–1–1 | ||||||||
| Hampton Seasiders/Pirates (Colored Intercollegiate Athletic Association) (1921–1940) | |||||||||
| 1921 | Hampton | 1–4 | 0–4 | 7th | |||||
| 1922 | Hampton | 6–1 | 4–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1923 | Hampton | 5–2 | 4–2 | 3rd | |||||
| 1924 | Hampton | 5–2–1 | 4–2–1 | 3rd | |||||
| 1925 | Hampton | 4–1–1 | 4–1–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1926 | Hampton | 7–0–1 | 6–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1927 | Hampton | 5–1–1 | 5–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1928 | Hampton | 8–1 | 8–0 | 1st | |||||
| 1929 | Hampton | 3–5 | 3–4 | T–4th | |||||
| 1930 | Hampton | 7–1–1 | 6–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1931 | Hampton | 8–0–1 | 6–0–1 | 1st | |||||
| 1932 | Hampton | 5–2–1 | 5–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1933 | Hampton | 7–1–1 | 7–1–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1934 | Hampton | 3–5 | 3–5 | T–7th | |||||
| 1935 | Hampton | 7–1 | 7–1 | 2nd | |||||
| 1936 | Hampton | 5–2–1 | 5–2–1 | 4th | |||||
| 1937 | Hampton | 3–6 | 2–5 | 10th | |||||
| 1938 | Hampton | 4–3–1 | 3–3–1 | T–6th | |||||
| 1939 | Hampton | 3–3–1 | 3–3–1 | 7th | |||||
| 1940 | Hampton | 3–4–1 | 3–4–1 | 10th | |||||
| Hampton: | 99–45–12 | 88–42–11 | |||||||
| Total: | 104–46–13 | ||||||||
| National championship Conference title Conference division title or championship game berth | |||||||||
References
edit- ↑ "Celebrating the Legacy of Gideon Smith". MSUSpartans.com. Michigan State University. October 15, 2013. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
- ↑ "Charles Follis led early black pioneers in pro football | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
- ↑ Peterson, Robert W. (1997). Pigskin: The Early Years of Pro Football. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-511913-4.
- ↑ Joe Horrigan. "Early Black Professional" (PDF). Coffin Corner. Professional Football Researchers Association: 1–6. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2010.
- ↑ Draft registration card for G.E. Smith, born July 13, 1889 in northwest Virginia. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line].
- ↑ Year: 1920; Census Place: Matoaca, Chesterfield, Virginia; Roll: T625_1885; Page: 7A; Enumeration District: 13; Image: 372. Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]
- ↑ "Friendship Admitted To EIAC; SCATS Grid Champs". Journal and Guide. Norfolk, Virginia. December 17, 1955. p. 19. Retrieved April 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com
. - ↑ "Champion Scats' Joe Richie Named EIAC 'Coach of '58'". Journal and Guide. Norfolk, Virginia. December 20, 1958. p. 17. Retrieved April 9, 2026 – via Newspapers.com .
- ↑ "Gideon E. Smith". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. May 9, 1968. p. 50. Retrieved October 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com .
- ↑ "Hampton University Athletics Hall of Fame: Gideon Smith". Hampton Pirates. Hampton University.
- ↑ "NCAA Statistics; Coach; Gideon Smith". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved April 15, 2026.
