Dyke Smith facts for kids
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| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 17, 1912 Cook County, Illinois |
| Died | April 16, 1986 (aged 74) Anniston, Alabama |
| Playing career | |
| Football | |
| 1932–1936 | Morris Brown |
| Basketball | |
| 1932–1936 | Morris Brown |
| Position(s) | Quarterback, forward |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1937–1938 | Georgia |
| 1939 | Cobb HS (AL) |
| 1940 | Edward Waters |
| 1941 | Alabama A&M |
| 1942 | Delaware State |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Awards | |
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Frank Donald "Dyke" Smith (March 17, 1912 – April 16, 1986) was an American football player and coach. He played two sports in college for Morris Brown College. Later, Smith coached several teams. These included a team in Georgia, Cobb High School, Edward Waters University, Alabama A&M University, and Delaware State University.
Contents
Early Life and College Sports
Dyke Smith was born on March 17, 1912, in Cook County, Illinois. He grew up in Evanston, Illinois. From 1932 to 1936, he went to Morris Brown College. There, he was a star in both football and basketball.
Football Achievements
In football, Smith was the starting quarterback for his team. Many black newspapers chose him as an All-America player. This means he was considered one of the best college players in the country.
Basketball Success
For basketball, Smith played as a forward. He was named All-Southern Conference. His team, Morris Brown, won an amazing 48 games in a row from 1932 to 1933. Dyke Smith was one of the first people to be honored in Morris Brown's Hall of Fame.
Coaching Career Highlights
After college, Smith began his coaching journey in 1937. He first coached a football team in Georgia. In 1939, he moved to Anniston, Alabama. There, he became the very first head coach at Cobb High School. He coached "anything that anybody wanted to play," showing his love for all sports.
Coaching College Teams
In 1940, Smith became a coach at Edward Waters University. He stayed there for one season. The next year, 1941, he moved to Alabama A&M University. His team at Alabama A&M had a good record of 6 wins and 4 losses that year. In 1942, Delaware State University hired Smith. His team there had 3 wins, 1 loss, and 1 tie. His coaching career was paused when he was drafted to serve in World War II.
Players Who Followed Him
Interestingly, many of the athletes Smith coached followed him to different schools. One example is Felmon Motley. He played for Smith at Cobb, Alabama A&M, and Delaware State. When Smith went to Delaware State, 33 players from his 1941 Alabama A&M team joined him there. This shows how much his players respected him.
Later Life and Legacy
After returning from World War II, Dyke Smith became a teacher. He taught social studies and math in schools in Chicago, Illinois, and Newark, New Jersey. He also coached a semi-professional football team in New Jersey for a few years. However, he did not coach college sports again.
Hall of Fame Honor
In 1985, Smith was honored by being inducted into the Delaware State College Athletic Hall of Fame. Felmon Motley and other players from the 1942 Delaware State team helped pay for Smith to fly to Delaware for a team reunion. Motley shared that Smith had a wonderful time seeing his old players. He said Smith felt ready to "go back and die" after seeing everyone again, as he had wondered what happened to them. Dyke Smith passed away on April 16, 1986, in Anniston. He was 74 years old.
