Ralph Allon "Catfish" Smith Sr. (December 1, 1938 – August 23, 2023) was an American professional football player who was an end in the National Football League (NFL). He played eight seasons, for the Philadelphia Eagles (1962–1964), Cleveland Browns (1965–1968), and the Atlanta Falcons (1969). He was drafted out of Ole Miss by the Eagles in 1962 and also had a stint with the New Orleans Saints.
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Early life
Smith was born on December 1, 1938, in Brookhaven, Mississippi, and grew up there. He first attended the University Military School in Mobile, Alabama, in 1954, before transferring to Brookhaven High School in his hometown, where he would attend from 1955 to 1957. A teammate of Lance Alworth on the football team, he earned 15 letters across four sports (football, basketball, track, baseball).
Smith had many accomplishments at Brookhaven. In football, he helped them win the conference championship in 1955 and 1957, earning all-conference, All-Southern and All-American honors in all three seasons while being invited to several all-star games as a senior. He also was three times named all-conference in basketball, helped them win the conference basketball championship in 1955, and helped the track team win the state championship in 1957.