Dean Smith (sprinter)

Born in Breckenridge, Texas, Smith won the Amateur Athletic Union championships in 100 m in 1952. At the Helsinki Olympics, he was fourth in the 100 m and ran the leadoff leg for the American gold medal-winning 4 × 100 m relay team. Later sports career Later on, Smith competed in amateur rodeo. His events were bareback bronc riding and calf roping. He won championships in both events. The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association made him an honorary member. == After sports/Hollywood career ==

Following his sports career, Smith performed as a professional rodeo cowboy and stuntman in various Western movies, such as The Alamo, The Comancheros, How The West Was Won, McLintock!, Rio Conchos, Big Jake, El Dorado, and Rio Lobo. He also appeared in such Western TV shows as Tales of Wells Fargo, Maverick, Gunsmoke, Lawman, Have Gun Will Travel, The Iron Horse, and Walker, Texas Ranger. Some of what Variety called his "most impressive" stunts included falling out of a two-story building into a hay wagon in McLintock! (1963) starring Maureen O'Hara. Smith was noticed by famed director John Ford when working on the 1958 Rosalind Russell project, Auntie Mame, and as a result went on to be featured in many of Ford's subsequent films. == Honors ==

In 2006, he was inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the National Multicultural Western Heritage Museum and Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Texas Track and Field Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Smith is a member of the Hollywood Stuntman's Hall of Fame. In 1997, he was named "All American Cowboy", and in 1998, he received a Golden Boot Award. In 2007, he received the Silver Spur award for his contributions as a stuntman in the film business. == Personal life ==

Smith died on June 24, 2023, at age 91. == References ==