 The Wild Bunch was a hit movie in 1969 and it was Cowlings who dubbed the defensive line 'The Wild Bunch' for their reckless abandon and hard-nosed style of play.Playing in an era of powerful running games, they allowed just 2.3 yards per carry and a league-low 95.6 rushing yards a game.Smith was one of the five USC African American starters (along with Sam Cunningham, Jimmy Jones, Clarence Davis and Charlie Weaver), that played against an all-white University of Alabama football team, winning 42–21 in Birmingham on September 12, 1970.