 Smith was a prep All-American at Charlton-Pollard High School, where he played for his father W.R. Smith.He acquired his nickname in a junior high school Spanish class, from "El Toro" (bull), because he was the largest boy in his class.He attended Michigan State University, before transferring to the University of Southern California after his sophomore year, where he became a standout defensive tackle and a member of the original "Wild Bunch".