Henry Smith "Hek" Wakefield (February 10, 1899 – November 19, 1962) was an American college football player and coach.

[4] He was a prominent member of Commodores teams that compiled a win–loss–tie record of 26–5–4 (.800) over his four seasons, and was an All-Southern selection in 1923 and 1924.

[7] The touchdown for Vanderbilt came after Wakefield's punt of 54 yards was fumbled by Sewanee and recovered by Pos Elam.

[11] A trick play which resulted in a touchdown thrown from Doc Kuhn to Lynn Bomar against Sewanee was set up by a 33-yard punt return by Wakefield.

"[5][15] The Kingsport Times reported that governor Austin Peay had praised Wakefield for his play that day.

Reese had hurt his knee, and during the previous week's game against the Texas Longhorns, Kuhn was hit on the head and had yet to regain his mental composure.

In the third quarter, Kuhn completed a 45-yard pass to Wakefield, caught at Georgia's four-yard line.

Georgia athletic director and former coach Herman Stegeman rated Wakefield as the best player in all of the south.

A poll of sportswriters selected the Commodores as the best team in the south, awarding them the Champ Pickens Trophy.

Among the stars were Stan Keck, Frank Murrey, Hank Garrity, John P. Gorman, Ralph Gilroy, A. Barr Snively, and Herb Treat.

[15] During the game, the one player on Vanderbilt's roster not from the 1923 varsity team was Hek's younger brother, Robert Allen "Jack" Wakefield.

"[24] Twenty-five years later, Centre head coach Charley Moran called Jack "the greatest football player I ever saw, barring nobody.

On December 10, 1924, after a quarrel with his fiancee, Jack went to the house of a friend in Memphis and committed suicide with a pistol.

The first came after captain and guard Tuck Kelly blocked a punt, the other on a pass into the end zone from quarterback Nig Waller.

A newspaper account describes Vanderbilt's first score: It was Lynn Bomar's gigantic figure that broke up what looked like a Marine cakewalk.

After receiving the kickoff, the Marines drove steadily to Vanderbilt's 10-yard line as Goettge repeatedly completed short passes.

[5] As an interim team captain following the loss of both Kelly and Bomar to injuries, Wakefield scored twice in the Commodores' 13–0 win over the Auburn Tigers, and defeated the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 3–0 with a 37-yard drop-kick field goal.

His tackling forced the Gophers frequently to take time out, and he repeatedly threw Minnesota back for losses", reported the Nashville Tennessean.

[30][31] Wakefield was selected a second-team All-American by Walter Camp of Collier's Weekly, who said, "The south has been entirely overlooked this year on the first eleven.

[1] The investigator said Wakefield had likely crashed into a utility pole and managed to drive back to his motel before collapsing.