Crook Smith

Byron Lambert "Consuello" "Crook" Smith (March 21, 1899 – March 3, 1990) was an American college football, baseball, and basketball player and coach inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.[1] He played for Mercer, and, after a short career as a baseball player and umpire in professional baseball, he was the head coach for the Georgia Southern Eagles team of Georgia Southern University (then known as Georgia Teacher's College).[2] He was later assistant pastor and director of young people's work at Immanuel Baptist Church in Savannah.[3]

Crook Smith
Biographical details
Born(1899-03-21)March 21, 1899
Fayetteville, Tennessee, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 1990(1990-03-03) (aged 90)
Tennessee, U.S.
Playing career
Football
1921–1924Mercer
Basketball
1921–1924Mercer
Position(s)End (football)
Forward (basketball)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1929–1942South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers
Basketball
1930–1942South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers
Baseball
1933–1935South Georgia Teachers
Head coaching record
Overall45–66–7 (football)
116–60 (basketball)
32–20 (baseball)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
All-Southern (1922, 1923)
Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame

University of Georgia coach Herman Stegeman said Smith during his playing days was "without a doubt the best all-around athlete of the South."[4]

Mercer University

Smith was from Fayetteville.[5] He earned 13 letters in football, baseball, basketball, and track for the Mercer Bears. He was inducted into the Mercer Athletics Hall of Fame in its inaugural year of 1971.[6] "Crook" was the older brother of Phoney Smith.[7]

Football

Smith was a prominent end on the football team.[8]

1922

He was selected All-Southern.[9][10]

1923

He was selected All-Southern by Julian Leggett of the Macon News.[8][11]

Basketball

In basketball he was a forward, and was selected All-Southern.[12][13][14] He was captain of the basketball team.[15] He played alongside George Harmon and Bob Gamble.[16] Their team was the runner-up to North Carolina in the 1922 SoCon Tournament.

Coaching career

Georgia Southern

Smith coached the Georgia Southern Eagles team of Georgia Southern University (then known as Georgia Teacher's College) from 1929 to 1942. His basketball teams compiled a 116–60 record.[1][17] His 1937 football team lost the first game played in the Orange Bowl. His 1939 football team won the Bacardi Bowl.

Head coaching record

Football
Year Team Overall ConferenceStanding Bowl/playoffs
South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers Blue Tide (Independent) (1929–1941)
1929 South Georgia Teachers 4–3–2
1930 South Georgia Teachers 3–4–2
1931 South Georgia Teachers 3–6
1932 South Georgia Teachers 6–2
1933 South Georgia Teachers 5–3
1934 South Georgia Teachers 4–6
1935 South Georgia Teachers 3–3–2
1936 South Georgia Teachers 2–8
1937 South Georgia Teachers 2–9
1938 South Georgia Teachers 3–5–1
1939 Georgia Teachers 5–5
1940 Georgia Teachers 3–5
1941 Georgia Teachers 2–8
South Georgia Teachers / Georgia Teachers: 45–66–7
Total:45–66–7

References
  1. "B.L. "Crook" Smith" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
  2. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Georgia_Southern_University/
  3. "Clipped from the Macon News". The Macon News. July 10, 1949. p. 9.
  4. "The Palm of Alpha Tau Omega". [Champaign, Ill., etc.] October 1, 1880 – via Internet Archive.
  5. Mercer Bulletin, p. 203
  6. "Mitchel Tenpenny - Official Athletics Website". Mercer University Athletics.
  7. A Gift for Giving, p. 51
  8. Robert E Wilder (2011). Gridiron Glory Days. p. 45. ISBN 9780881462678.
  9. "Georgia Tech Has Four on All-Southern Team". Richmond Times Dispatch. December 10, 1922.
  10. Cliff Wheatley (December 10, 1922). "Al Staton, Davis, Whelchel Frye, Roberts, Cobington, Bennett, Fletcher Picked". Atlanta Constitution. p. 3. Retrieved March 16, 2015 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  11. "The Telegraph's All-Southern". Mercer Cluster. December 7, 1923. pp. 3, 6.
  12. "The Palm of Alpha Tau Omega". [Champaign, Ill., etc.] October 1, 1880 – via Internet Archive.
  13. "Reference at dlgmedia1-www.galib.uga.edu" (PDF).
  14. "Reference at static.soconsports.com" (PDF).
  15. http://dlgmedia1-www.galib.uga.edu/data/newspapers-pdf/mer/mer1923/mer1923-0107.pdf
  16. "The Mercer Cluster. (Macon, Ga.) 1920-current, March 03, 1922, Image 1 « Georgia Historic Newspapers".
  17. Delma E. Presley (September 30, 2013). Georgia Southern University. p. 91. ISBN 9781439644027.
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