He played professionally as an end, fullback, and wingback for two seasons, from 1920 to 1921, with the Rock Island Independents of the American Professional Football Association (APFA), which was renamed as the National Football League (NFL) in 1922.

Smith attended Drake University, where lettered football, basketball, and track.

He football as a halfback and fullback, basketball as a center, and ran the half-mile in track.

[1] Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern California (USC).

He coached football and basketball at Occidental College in Los Angeles.