Inducted: 2007

Joe Lee Smith has probably spent more time researching Texas high school football than any man alive. ?Since 1965, Smith has spent six hours a day compiling season-by-season high school football scores for more than 1,100 UIL schools in Texas. He has also compiled records of Texas high school football coaches. His research has proven invaluable to football historians and has been featured in TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS ALL-TIME RECORD BOOK (which he co-edited), Bill McMurray’s TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, KING FOOTBALL and on texpreps.com. ?Smith, who also authored a history of the White Oak Roughnecks, BENEATH THE TOWERING OIL WELLS, began his sportswriting career as sports editor of the PAMPA DAILY NEWS in 1961, joined the BEAUMONT ENTERPRISE a year later, and spent almost three decades covering high school football for the PORT ARTHUR NEWS. He served in athletic communications for Lamar University from 1963-96, and founded the Lamar Cardinal Hall of Honor.