Wilfrid Smith: From the NFL to Global Recognition episode artwork

EPISODE · May 18, 2026 · 29 MIN

Wilfrid Smith: From the NFL to Global Recognition

from Sports History Network

When Football Is Football is part of the Sports History Network - The Headquarters For Sports Yesteryear.EPISODE SUMMARYIn this episode of “When Football Was Football” on the Sports History Network, we are delighted to bring back the unique life, and amazing accomplishments, of one Wilfrid Russell Smith. Smith was the son of a wandering minister, enjoyed playing sports, and eventually accepted a starting sports writing job for the lofty pay of $10 per week. All three of those influences (travel, sports, and writing) helped Wilfrid to become not only an exceptional pro athlete, but also one of the most recognized and influential sports authorities in the world…and he was never shy about traveling around the globe to cover the next big story!Read the entire episode blog post and check out some other cool info regarding this episode here.WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL BACKGROUNDEach episode takes the listener back to the very early days of the National Football League. Author Joe Ziemba will share a forgotten or lost story from one of the NFL’s two oldest teams: The Bears and the Cardinals. Team championships, individual exploits, or long-buried items of interest from the earliest years of the NFL will be dusted off and resurrected for the listener.Not for the football faint-of-heart since these programs will document when the struggling Bears nearly went out of business or when Cardinals’ players earned $15 a game and were proud of it! It’s NFL history—with a twist!. See Joe's books below.Cadets, Canons, and Legends: The Football History of Morgan Park Military AcademyWhen Football Was Football: The Chicago Cardinals and the Birth of the NFLMusic for the episode - https://www.purple-planet.com/

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 18, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Wilfrid Smith: From the NFL to Global Recognition

0:00 29:25

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Sports History Network?

This episode is 29 minutes long.

When was this Sports History Network episode published?

This episode was published on May 18, 2026.

Can I download this Sports History Network episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!