Bill Smyth (American football)

Smyth was born in 1922 in Batavia, Ohio. He attended Roger Bacon High School in St. Bernard, Ohio, a village located within Cincinnati.[1] At Roger Bacon, he won varsity letters in football, basketball, track, and baseball.[2]

In September 1940, he enrolled at Notre Dame University.[2] At Notre Dame, he played for the freshman football team in 1940 and for the varsity as a reserve end in 1941.[3] In 1942, he transferred to the University of Cincinnati and played for the 1942 Cincinnati Bearcats football team while they compiled a record of 8 wins and 2 losses.[4]

In 1943, Smyth enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and was assigned to the V-12 Navy College Training Program at Pennsylvania State University. He played for the 1943 Penn State Nittany Lions football team.[5][6] Smyth later served in the Pacific Theatre of World War II and participated in the first day landings in the Battle of Iwo Jima.[7] In the fall of 1945, he played for the Marines All-Star football team.[7] He returned to Cincinnati after the war and played for the 1946 Cincinnati Bearcats football team that compiled a 9–2 record.[8]

Smyth was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the seventh round (53rd overall pick) of the 1947 NFL Draft.[9] He signed with the Rams in January 1947,[10] and he appeared in 46 games with the club in four seasons from 1947 to 1950. He caught 13 passes for 123 yards and one touchdown.[9]

After his playing career ended, Smyth worked as a football coach. He began his coaching career in 1951 as an assistant coach at Withrow High School in Cincinnati.[11] In 1952, Smyth was hired as the line coach at Xavier University of Cincinnati.[12]

He later served as an assistant coach for the Ottawa Rough Riders of the Canadian Football League for 11 seasons from 1956 to 1966.[1] He died of acute heart failure in 1966 at age 44 in Ottawa.[13][14] In July 1967, the Rough Riders celebrated Bill Smyth Night and paid tribute to the former coach before a crowd of 13,000 fans.[15]