Tody Smith
| No. 85, 70 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||
| Personal information | |||
| Date of birth: | December 24, 1948 | ||
| Place of birth: | Frankfurt, Germany | ||
| Date of death: | July 18, 1999 (aged 50) | ||
| Place of death: | Los Angeles, California | ||
| Height: | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||
| Weight: | 248 lb (112 kg) | ||
| Career information | |||
| High school: | Charlton-Pollard | ||
| College: | USC | ||
| NFL Draft: | 1971 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25 | ||
| Career history | |||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||
| Games played: | 69 |
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Lawrence Edward Smith (December 24, 1948 – July 18, 1999) was an American football defensive end in the National Football League.
Smith was a prep All-American at Charlton-Pollard High School in Beaumont, Texas, where he played for his father W.R. Smith. He acquired his nickname in a junior high school Spanish class. Apparently Tody came from toro (bull), because he was the largest boy in his class.
He attended Michigan State University but transferred to the University of Southern California after his sophomore year, where he became a standout defensive tackle and a member of the original "Wild Bunch".
Smith teamed in the defensive line with Al Cowlings, Jimmy Gunn, Willard "Bubba" Scott, and Charlie Weaver to form in 1969 "The Wild Bunch," which was key for USC to compile a 10-0-1 record and a No. 3 ranking after a victory over the Michigan Wolverines in the 1970 Rose Bowl.
The Wild Bunch was a hit movie in 1969 and it was Cowlings who dubbed the defensive line 'The Wild Bunch' for their reckless abandon and hard-nosed style of play. Playing in an era of powerful running games, they allowed just 2.3 yards per carry and a league-low 95.6 rushing yards a game.
Smith was one of the five USC African American starters (along with Sam Cunningham, Jimmy Jones, Clarence Davis and Charlie Weaver), that played against an all-white University of Alabama football team, winning 42-21 in Birmingham on September 12, 1970. This game was historically significant, because it was a factor in convincing the University of Alabama and its fan base to accelerate the integration of its football team.
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