Personal information | |
---|---|
Born: | c. 1915 Rockford, Illinois, U.S. |
Died: | c. 2000 Arizona, U.S. |
Career information | |
College: | Minnesota |
Position: | Tackle |
NFL draft: | 1936 / Round: 7 / Pick: 60 (by the Chicago Bears) [1] |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Richard Smith was an All-American football player for the University of Minnesota in the mid-1930s. During Smith's three years as a starter at tackle, the Golden Gophers did not lose a game.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Smith played for Bernie Bierman's great Golden Gophers teams of 1933, 1934, and 1935. The Golden Gophers were undefeated during Smith's three seasons starting at the tackle position. Their year-by-year record was as follows:
As a sophomore, Smith was one of the "surprise" players of the 1933 season. A Minnesota newspaper in 1934 described Smith's progression as follows:
"Dick Smith was a big 200 pound youth who appeared somewhat slow and green as a freshman. He was not particularly impressive in his early sophomore games last year either but suddenly he seemed to hit a stride and the name 'Smith, left tackle,' appeared in the Gopher lineup from that time on. The Michigan game was his best, of the season and he'll be back September 15, ready to try for his position again." [2]
Smith was one of the anchors of the 1934 and 1935 teams that compiled perfect, undefeated records and were recognized as national champions. Both of Minnesota's tackles in 1935 were All-Americans. In addition to Smith, Ed Widseth played tackle for the 1935 team and was a consensus All-American. The 1935 Golden Gophers, with Smith and Widseth in the line, finished the season undefeated and defeated 40-0 and Wisconsin, 33-7. The United Press in 1935 wrote that Smith and Widseth formed the backbone of one of America's greatest teams." [3]
As a senior in 1935, Smith was selected as a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, United Press, Collier's Weekly , the Newspaper Editors Association ("NEA"), the International News Service, and the New York Sun . Smith was also chosen to play in both of college football's post-season All-Star games. In December 1935, he was picked as one of the Eastern All-Stars to play in the East-West Shrine Game in San Francisco. [4] And in July 1936, he was voted by fans as a starting tackle for the College All-Stars in the annual game between the college stars and the NFL championship team—the 1935 Detroit Lions. [5] [6] In selecting Smith as an All-American, the NEA noted that Smith charged fast, had good speed down the field, and was a help to Minnesota's ends due to his speed. [7] Associated Press sports editor Alan Gould also cited Smith's combination of size and speed in picking him as an AP All-American: "Dick Smith, a 218-pounder with rare speed in Minnesota's forward ranks get the call." [8] He was drafted in the seventh round of the 1936 NFL Draft. [9] Smith never signed with an NFL team, and later moved to Arizona to be a "businessman-rancher". [10]
Bernard W. Bierman was an American college football coach best known for his years as head coach of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football program. Between 1934 and 1941, his Minnesota teams won five national championships and seven Big Ten championships and had four perfect seasons. Bierman's five national championships rank him among the greatest college football coaches of all time, as only 2 coaches have won more.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represents the University of Minnesota in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Founded in 1882, Minnesota has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since its inception in 1896 as the Western Conference. The Golden Gophers claim seven national championships: 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960. Since 2009, the Golden Gophers have played all their home games at Huntington Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Edwin Clarence Widseth was an American professional football player who was a tackle for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the University of Minnesota, where he was a consensus All-American in 1935 and 1936. Widseth was drafted by the New York Giants in the first round of the 1937 NFL Draft, and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1938. He was later inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Iowa–Minnesota football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Iowa Hawkeyes football team of the University of Iowa and Minnesota Golden Gophers football team of the University of Minnesota. Floyd of Rosedale, introduced in 1935, is a bronze trophy in the shape of a pig which is awarded to the winner of the game.
Richard Kay Wildung was an American football tackle who played college football for Minnesota (1940–1942) and professional football in the National Football League (NFL) for the Green Bay Packers. He played for back-to-back national championship teams at Minnesota and was a consensus All-American in 1941 and 1942. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.
The 1932 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1932 Big Ten Conference football season. In their first year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled a 5–3 record, shut out three opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined score of 86 to 42.
The 1933 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1933 Big Ten Conference football season. In their second year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled a 4–0–4 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 64 to 32.
The 1934 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1934 college football season. In their third year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an undefeated 8–0 record, shut out four opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 270 to 38.
The 1935 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1935 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an undefeated 8–0 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 194 to 36.
The 1936 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1936 college football season. In their fifth year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled a 7–1 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 203 to 32. The team was named national champion by eight NCAA-designated major selectors in Associated Press, Billingsley Report, Dickinson System, Dunkel System, Helms Athletic Foundation, Litkenhous, National Championship Foundation, and Poling System. This marked the third consecutive year the team was selected as national champion. However, the Big Ten Conference did not allow its members to play postseason bowl games at the time, a conference bylaw that would not be changed until 1946.
The 1940 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1940 Big Ten Conference football season. In their ninth year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an undefeated 8–0 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 154 to 71.
The 1941 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1941 Big Ten Conference football season. In their tenth year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled an undefeated 8–0 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 186 to 38. The team's national championship run in the days before the attack on Pearl Harbor was chronicled in journalist Danny Spewak's book, "From the Gridiron to the Battlefield: Minnesota's March to a College Football Title and into World War II," published in 2021 by Rowman & Littlefield.
The 1949 Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represented the University of Minnesota in the 1949 Big Nine Conference football season. In their 15th year under head coach Bernie Bierman, the Golden Gophers compiled a 7–2 record and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 231 to 80.
The 1935 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1935. The nine selectors recognized by the NCAA as "official" for the 1935 season are (1) Collier's Weekly, as selected by Grantland Rice, (2) the Associated Press (AP), (3) the United Press (UP), (4) the All-America Board (AAB), (5) the International News Service (INS), (6) Liberty magazine, (7) the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), (8) the North American Newspaper Alliance (NANA), and (9) the Sporting News (SN).
Sheldon Beise was an American football player and coach.
Louis Thomas Midler was an American football guard and tackle who played two seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Green Bay Packers. He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and was selected by the Pirates in the fifth round of the 1938 NFL Draft.
The history of Michigan Wolverines football in the Kipke years covers the history of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program during the period from the hiring of Harry Kipke as head coach in 1929 through his firing after the 1937 season. Michigan was a member of the Big Ten Conference during the Kipke years and played its home games at Michigan Stadium.
The 1935 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Big Ten Conference teams chosen by various selectors for the 1935 Big Ten Conference football season.
The 1936 Big Ten Conference football season was the 41st season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1936 college football season.
The 1935 Big Ten Conference football season was the 40th season of college football played by the member schools of the Big Ten Conference and was a part of the 1935 college football season.
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