Bruce Smith (American football)

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Bruce Smith
Date of birth:	February 8, 1920
Place of birth:	Faribault, Minnesota
Date of death:	August 28, 1967 (aged 47)
Career information
Position(s):	Halfback
College:	Minnesota
NFL Draft:	1942 / Round: 13 / Pick: 119
Organizations
As player:
1945-1948 1948	Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams
Career highlights and Awards
Awards:	1941 Heisman Trophy
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com
College Football Hall of Fame

Bruce P. Smith (February 8, 1920 – August 28, 1967), nicknamed "Boo", was an American football player best known for winning the Heisman Trophy in 1941.

Smith was born in Faribault, Minnesota where he excelled in prep football under legendary football coach Win Brockmeyer and then attended the University of Minnesota. He played halfback for the back to back national champions Gophers in 1940 and 1941. He received the Heisman two days after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

During World War II he served as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot. After the war he briefly played in the National Football League with the Green Bay Packers (1945–1948) and the Los Angeles Rams (1948). A movie, Smith of Minnesota, was released in 1942. The premiere occurred in Faribault to the semi-amazement of the locals due to the novelty. However, unintentioned laughter was heard in the movie when certain advanced technologies for the time (direct dial phones, streetlights, etc) were seen as part of the backdrop.

He was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1967, and spent the next several months visiting young cancer patients with the Rev. William Cantwell. Smith lost over half his body weight before succumbing to the disease. Cantwell, who was unfamiliar with Smith's sports achievements, nominated Smith for sainthood.

In 1972, Smith was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His number 54 was the first to be officially retired by the Gophers, in 1977.