Earl Smith       

HIGH SCHOOL: Earl Smith attended Roosevelt High School and lived in or near Gary, Indiana. He was a multi-sport prep star in football, basketball, and track and field. He set the state long jump record and twice won long jump state titles and his team won the 1951 & 1952 track and field state championship. He originally planned to attend Michigan, but wasn't sure if he had a full scholarship or not, so ended up at Iowa.

COLLEGE: He scored two TDs in his first game against Michigan in 1953, earning a spot in the backfield in a 14-13 loss.

In 1954, he was an all-Big Ten 2nd Team and honorable mention selection after leading the Hawkeyes and Big Ten in scoring with 11 touchdowns and 66 points. He also led the team in punt (267) and kickoff (183) return yardage. He broke Iowa’s school record for scoring in a season-finale loss to Notre Dame that year when he caught a 76-yard touchdown pass. He also had 2 TDs at #4 Ohio State in a 20-14 loss, scoring on a 76-yard punt return and 66-yard interception return. He led the team in punt return yards (153) as a senior in 1955.

Also in 1954, he was the Big Ten indoor and outdoor long jump champion, and he finished fourth in the 1953 and 1954 NCAA long jump championships.

PROFESSIONAL: He tried out for the Chicago Bears in 1957, but didn't make the team.

OTHER: He is a four-time Hall of Famer being inducted into the Gary Sports Hall of Fame in 2023, Indiana Track & Field Hall of Fame in 1990, the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2007, and the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018. He spent 56 years with Gary (IN) Schools including coaching at Tolleston, Froebel, West Side, Emerson and Lew Wallace and as citywide athletic director, including being the 1st African-American head coach at Froebel, Emerson and Lew Wallace. He coached five high school All-Americans and one first round NBA Draft Pick. His basketball teams won 323 games over 26 seasons, including five conference titles, three regional championships, and two trips to the state tournament’s Elite Eight. He spent the last leg of his career as the citywide athletic director, retiring in 2013. He was the founder of the Gary Sports Hall of Fame, and was also the recipient of the IHSAA Ray Crowe Award for Excellence in Leadership in 2023.

Born 1/19/1934 and died on 1/16/2025 at the age of 90.