(3rd of 7 blogs on Tommie Smith)

Tommie Smith in his prime was an imposing figure on the track. He stood over 6 feet 3 inches and weighed 180 to 185 pounds. He was lean -- no one would ever accuse him of taking performance enhancing drugs. He had long legs and a stride measured at about nine feet. He sometimes wore sunglasses while running.

Track and field in this era, 1963 through 1968, was different than today. Competitors were supposed to be pure amateurs; it's no knock on the sport to suggest that this was more ideal than reality for some. And the sport had more widespread popularity. It didn't need the Olympics to get on the front page of sports sections.

This was a time when the very best sprinters dreamed of a unique trifecta: world records in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes.

Smith came the closest of all. At one point, he held the world record in the 200, 400 outdoors and 400 indoors, and was only a tenth of a second off the 100 world record.

While at San Jose State, he ran a 220-yard straightaway in 19.5 seconds.

On dirt.