Dean Smith
Smith was an all-state running back at Graham and played football and ran track at the University of Texas. He was a halfback on the Longhorns’ team that beat Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl. In 1952, he was a gold medalist on the U.S. 4×100 relay team at the Helsinki Olympics in Finland and finished fourth in the 100-meter dash. Smith was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams, but when he was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he quit football to become a stunt man in Hollywood, enjoying a career that lasted more than 50 years. He appeared in dozens of movies and TV shows, including many of John Wayne’s movies. (Deceased)
Smith passed away on June 24, 2023 at the age of 91. His obituary can be found at this link. In addition, The Hollywood Reporter published a story chronicling Smith’s career you can find here and the Breckenridge Texan published a story on Smith here.
