 |
 It is appropriate that Bill Smaltz and Len Krouse were inducted into the
Beaver County Sports Hall of Fame the same year: they were an
outstanding passing pair at Penn State in 1939, 1940, and 1941, with Smaltz throwing and Krouse catching.
Bill reached the peak of his
college career in the 1941 season when he earned All American
honorable mention as a quarterback, was named to the All East team,
and played in the annual East-West Shrine game. In addition to
earning fame at Penn State as one of the top passers in the nation
for Coach Bob Higgins, the versatile Smaltz was also considered on
of the Nittany Lion’s all time punting stars, which was not
surprising because at Aliquippa High School he gained fame for his
running, passing, field goal kicking, and punting – all around
talent that earned him a scholarship to Penn State. Bill was the leading
football scorer in Beaver County in 1936 and 1937, earning All
County honors both seasons, and he also received All WPIAL honors in
1937 and was named second team All State that year. After
college, Bill spent four years in the Army, then became assistant
football coach at Juniata College in 1946 and head coach in 1947.
His Juniata teams compiled a 32-17-2 record, including a perfect
season in 1953 that gave the college its first unbeaten grid team in
31 years. Bill left Juniata to become assistant football coach at
North Carolina State, where he served 17 years before becoming
ticket manager of the school and then retiring in 1982. |
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