Wee Willie Smith (American football)

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Wee Willie Smith

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| number = 0

| position = Back

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|7|2}}

| birth_place = Lexington, Nebraska, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1996|9|4|1910|7|2}}

| death_place = Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.

| height_ft = 5

| height_in = 6

| weight_lb = 148

| high_school = Boise
(Boise, Idaho)

| college = Idaho (1931–1933)

| pastteams =

New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1934}})
Los Angeles Bulldogs (1936)

| pastcoaching =

Fort Warren (1943–1945)
Head coach

| highlights =

NFL champion (1934)
Second-team All-PCC (1932)

| statlabel1 = TD–INT

| statvalue1 = 1–1

| statlabel2 = Passing yards

| statvalue2 = 37

| statlabel3 = Passer rating

| statvalue3 = 66.2

| statlabel4 = Rushing yards

| statvalue4 = 323

| statlabel5 = Rushing touchdowns

| statvalue5 = 2

| statlabel6 = Receptions

| statvalue6 = 2

| statlabel7 = Receiving yards

| statvalue7 = 32

| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|14|14|1|record=y}}

{{Infobox military person

| embed = yes

| allegiance = {{USA}}

| branch = {{Army|United States}}

| serviceyears =

| rank = 15px Lieutenant Colonel

| unit =

| battles = World War II
Korean War
Vietnam War

| awards =

}}

| pfr = S/SmitWe20

}}

Willis Merton "Wee Willie" Smith (July 2, 1910 – September 4, 1996) was an American football back who played one season with the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL).

High school

Smith first enrolled at Lexington Senior High School in Lexington, Nebraska, transferred to Sheridan High School in Sheridan, Wyoming, and then to Boise High School in Boise, Idaho, where he graduated.{{cite web | url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/smit41600.html | title=Willis Smith | publisher=profootballarchives.com | access-date=October 24, 2015 | archive-date=September 9, 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909103936/http://www.profootballarchives.com/smit41600.html | url-status=dead }}

College

Smith played college football at the University of Idaho in Moscow under head coach Leo Calland.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-qVOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9bUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2379%2C6892935 |newspaper=Deseret News |location=Salt Lake City, Utah |agency=Associated Press |title=Idaho hopes for dry field today |date=October 28, 1933 |page=3, sports}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=89VXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=G_UDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1294%2C5092206 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Wee Willie back on Idaho campus |date=August 23, 1937 |page=14}} A three-year star at quarterback {{nowrap|(1931–1933) in the Pacific Coast Conference,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19311024&id=bdBXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=y_QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7120,5805044 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Idaho's Little Giant goes places |date=October 24, 1931 |page=14 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FtBXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1fQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7191%2C3766166 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |location=Washington |title=Willis Smith, Idaho's Little Giant; is he All-American material? |date=November 17, 1931 |page=16 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=IRlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=f-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3496%2C1993651 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |title=To boost Smith for All-Coast |date=November 24, 1931 |page=13 }}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=m_AUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=gOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5457%2C1839302 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Idaho smears Utah Aggies, 33-0 |date=November 25, 1932 |page=10}}}} his nickname was "Little Giant" while {{nowrap|a Vandal.{{cite web |url=http://issuu.com/uidahodigital/docs/gem1933/209 |publisher=Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook |title=Football: 1932 season, vs. Utah State |date=1933 |page=205}}{{cite news |url=http://issuu.com/uidahodigital/docs/gem_1934/219|publisher=Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook|title=Football: 1933 season |date=1934 |pages=214–224}}{{cite news |url=https://digital.lib.uidaho.edu/cdm/ref/collection/argonaut/id/880?_ga=2.215050391.1009314267.1511371249-1761179966.1510545196 |work=Idaho Argonaut |location=(University of Idaho, Moscow) |title="Little Giant" going strong in tough professional ball |date=October 26, 1934 |page=1}}}} Smith also played baseball, graduated in 1934 with a degree in education, and was a member of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.{{cite web |url=http://issuu.com/uidahodigital/docs/gem_1934/59 |publisher=Gem of the Mountains, University of Idaho yearbook |title=Seniors |date=1934 |page=55}}

Professional football

File:Ny giants 1934.jpg, NFL Champions;
Smith is in second row at far right]]

Smith played in nine games in the National Football League, starting one, for the New York Giants {{nowrap|in 1934.}} In the 17–7 win over Pittsburgh on October 21, Smith scored the final touchdown on a three-yard run to seal the win.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PrVRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LWkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4465%2C3334985 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |agency=Associated Press |title=Strong brilliant as Bucs lose to Giants, 17 to 7 |date=October 22, 1934 |page=14}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=XxtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4563%2C5228065 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Smith is star in Giant's win |date=October 22, 1934 |page=9}} The following week, he scored a late touchdown on a 24-yard run in the 17–0 win over Philadelphia.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=ZRtWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=KuMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6790%2C6692402 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Football games go as expected |date=October 29, 1934 |page=9}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FbBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8iEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4630%2C1726828 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |agency=Associated Press |title=Giants win 11 straight on home field 17 to 0 |date=October 29, 1934 |page=5, part 2 |access-date=December 21, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222165625/https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FbBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8iEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4630%2C1726828 |url-status=dead }}

The Giants, coached by Steve Owen, finished 8–5 in the regular season and won the Eastern Division. They met George Halas' undefeated Chicago Bears for a third time that season in the NFL championship game. The Bears had won the two regular season games in November and led 13–3 after three quarters on a frigid December 9, but the Giants scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter to secure a 30–13 upset at the Polo Grounds for the league title,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NaRQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=4iEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6492%2C5005278 |newspaper=Milwaukee Journal |last=Gannon |first=Pat |title=Giants make spectacular finish to beat Bears for pro grid title |date=December 10, 1934 |page=2, part 2}} in what was later known as the "Sneakers" game. Due to his small stature, Smith wore number zero and generated a considerable amount of interest in the press.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=0d0zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QugDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5210%2C4223247 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=United Press |last=McLemore |first=Henry |title=Hank interviews "Little Giant" Smith of Idaho |date=December 7, 1934 |page=12 }}

In 1936, Smith played for the independent Los Angeles Bulldogs,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LlkpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1658%2C3134451|newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Willis Smith is star of pro football game |date=November 23, 1936 |page=10}} who played all their games at home at Gilmore Stadium.

After football

By 1937, he was out of football and back in northern Idaho, working as an area supervisor for the Works Progress Administration (WPA) {{nowrap|in Coeur d'Alene.}}

He served as a training officer in the U.S. Army in World War II, and coached the football team at Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zYwhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=25cFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3011%2C931607 |newspaper=Reading Eagle |location=Pennsylvania |agency=United Press |title=Tiny Colorado College leads Rocky Mountain grid teams |date=September 11, 1943|page=12}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=tCpWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o-QDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5514%2C2318859 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |title=Flyers, victors over Broncs, want another game here |date=September 10, 1945 |page=7 }}

Personal life

Smith was blind in one eye;{{cite web|url=http://profootballdaly.com/darren-sproles-and-the-all-time-all-small-team/ |title=Darren Sproles and the NFL's all-time Mighty Mites |publisher=profootballdaly.com |access-date=October 24, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151024180608/http://profootballdaly.com/darren-sproles-and-the-all-time-all-small-team/ |archive-date=October 24, 2015 }} he died at age 86 in Albuquerque, New Mexico,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a-kyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ygcGAAAAIBAJ&pg=4096%2C961825 |newspaper=Free Lance-Star |location=Fredericksburg, Virginia |agency=Associated Press |title='Little Giant' Willis Smith dead at 86 |date=September 7, 1996 |page=B11 }} and is buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery (section 4, site 8B).

Head coaching record

{{CFB Yearly Record Start | type = coach | team = | conf = | bowl = | poll = no }}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subhead

| name = Fort Warren Broncos

| conf = Independent

| startyear = 1943

| endyear = 1945

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1943

| name = Fort Warren

| overall = 4–3

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1944

| name = Fort Warren

| overall = 5–4–1

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Entry

| championship =

| year = 1945

| name = Fort Warren

| overall = 5–7

| conference =

| confstanding =

| bowlname =

| bowloutcome =

| bcsbowl =

| ranking = no

| ranking2 = no

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record Subtotal

| name = Fort Warren

| overall = 14–14–1

| confrecord =

}}

{{CFB Yearly Record End

| overall = 14–14–1

| bowls = no

| poll = no

| polltype =

| legend = no

}}

References

External links

{{Footballstats |nfl=wee-willie-smith |pfr=SmitWe20 }}
[https://govandals.com/hof.aspx?hof=95 University of Idaho Athletics Hall of Fame] – Willis Smith
[http://www.justsportsstats.com/footballstatsindex.php?player_id=smithwee001 Just Sports Stats]
{{Find a Grave|1198367}}

Category:1910 births

Category:1996 deaths

Category:American football defensive backs

Category:American football quarterbacks

Category:American football running backs

Category:Fort Warren Broncos football coaches

Category:Idaho Vandals baseball players

Category:Idaho Vandals football players

Category:Los Angeles Bulldogs players

Category:New York Giants players

Category:United States Army colonels

Category:United States Army personnel of the Korean War