Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1965
In today's world of college football it is relatively easy to judge an end and his contribution to the team, much easier than back in the 1930s when teams believed more in the running attack and still didn't have a lot of confidence in the passing game. Because of the difficulty in judging a player solely by the statistics, you had to look at the intangibles about a player, the things no one but the coaches and teammates saw, to determine how good they really were.
Ask those that saw Bracie Smith play end for Southern Miss during the 1936 and 1937 seasons and they will tell you he was the type of player, who in addition to being a talented receiver and blocker, also did the little things, the things that help win games.
It goes without saying that Smith was a leader, a player that his teammates looked up to, and one that the coaches counted on to come up with the big play when the going got tough. He was also a team player, a player not so much interested in the personal glory that might go a along with being a star player, but more interested in the success of the team.
The teams that Smith played on were successful, no doubt in part to his play on both sides of the ball. As a reserve on the 1936 team, Smith showed the talents and skills that would make him one of the school's all-time best at end. Seeing plenty of action that season, Smith caught his share of passes on offense and also turned into one of the most valuable players on the special teams.
On the defensive side of the ball, he also played in a backup role most of the time, but found a way to make his share of the tackles and big plays for the team.
That 1936 team would go on to post a 7-2-1 record and finished the season by winning six of its last seven games. Although the offense was consistent all year long, the defense would allow only 54 points and shutout four of its opponents.
Smith would lock down a starting job at left end when the 1937 season rolled around and he quickly became one of the favorite targets of quarterback Sporty Dabbs. With Coach Reed Green in his first season as head coach and the combination of Dabbs to Smith clicking, Southern would roll to a 7-3 record that year.
Once again Smith showed his versatility and how good he really was that season, becoming a break away threat any time he caught the football. That 1937 team with Smith as one of its stars had back to back games of 50-plus points that year, beating Alabama State Teachers 58-0 and Troy State 53-0.
Smith was steady again on the defensive side of the ball, helping that unit shutout seven opponents and allowing only 24 points.
Following the 1937 season Smith was named to the Little All-America team.
Smith also played basketball during the 1936-37 and 1937-38 seasons.
