Smith is the Julius C. “Bud” Shaw Professor of Sports, Society, and Technology and an assistant professor of history whose research focuses on the history of sports and American culture. This is the second time that Smith has received the award from the peer reviewed journal. In 2009, he won the Journal's Best Article Award for his article, “It's Really Not My Country: Lew Alcindor and the Revolt of the Black Athlete.”

The Journal of Sport History is the official publication of the North American Society for Sport History (NASSH). Published by the University of Illinois Press, the journal seeks to promote the study of all aspects of the history of sport. Issues contain scholarly articles, research notes, documents, commentary, and reviews.