Born June 5, 1944, Clarksville, Texas

At 6-3 and 185 pounds, Tommie Smith had the ideal build for a long sprinter and his acceleration at the end of a race was a trademark that made him one of the most versatile sprinters in the world. With all-time bests of 10.1 for 100 meters, 19.83 for 200 meters and 44.5 for the 400, Smith still ranks high on the all-time lists.

While a student at San Jose State, where he was coached by another Hall of Famer, Bud Winter, Smith won the national collegiate 220 title in 1967 before adding the AAU furlong crown as well. He repeated as AAU 200 champion in 1968 and made the Olympic team where he won the 200 in a world record 19.83. During his career, Smith set seven individual world records and also was a member of several world record relay teams at San Jose State. He is now a college track coach and professor in the Los Angeles area.