Former Aldine football coach Bill Smith was honored Saturday as a member of the Class of 2012 Gridiron Legends.
Smith, who served as head coach at Aldine High School for more than 30 years, took his place alongside three other accomplished Texas football coaches for the honor, announced by the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas during halftime at the Aug. 18 Houston Texans
game at Reliant Stadium.
The designation recognizes those who have made “a significant contribution to the game of football in the state of Texas” at the high school or college level, according to the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas website.
Smith led the Mustangs to state and national championships in 1990, a perfect season and 273 wins during his career, the fifth most of all time among Texas Class 5A coaches, according to an Aldine press release.
In 2004, one year after his retirement, Aldine renamed its stadium after coach Smith to honor his contributions to football and the school.
Other members of the Class of 2012 include: 1990 Heisman Trophy winner Ty Detmer and College Football Hall of Fame coaches Darrell Royal, the winningest coach in Texas Longhorns football history, and Hayden Fry, former head coach at the Iowa, North Texas and Southern Methodist University.
Smith will be inducted during the 2012 bowl game on Dec. 28 at Reliant Stadium.