 Smith in 2009 | |||||
| No. 78, 77 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | February 28, 1945 Orange, Texas, U.S. | ||||
| Died: | August 3, 2011 (aged 66) Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 265 lb (120 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Charlton-Pollard (Beaumont, Texas) | ||||
| College: | Michigan State (1964–1966) | ||||
| NFL draft: | 1967 / round: 1 / pick: 1 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith (February 28, 1945 – August 3, 2011) was an American professional football defensive end and actor. Smith played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers.
Smith played college football for Michigan State University, where he twice earned All-American honors on the Spartans football team. Smith had a major role in a 10–10 tie against Notre Dame in 1966 that was billed as "The Game of the Century". He is one of only six players to have his jersey number retired by the program. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.[1]
The first overall pick of the 1967 NFL/AFL draft, Smith played nine years in the NFL for the Colts, Raiders, and Oilers from 1967 to 1976. He was the Colts' starting left defensive end for five seasons, playing in Super Bowls III and V. He was named to two Pro Bowls and was a first-team All-Pro in 1971.[2] He had tremendous quickness despite being 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and 265 pounds (120 kg),[3] a combination which usually earned him a double-team.[2]
During his acting career, Smith specialized in comedic roles in film, television, and television advertising. For about a decade following his retirement from football, he appeared in various commercials for Miller Lite, alongside Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus. His best-known role was as Moses Hightower in the first six Police Academy movies.[4]
Smith was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurological condition generally related to head trauma. He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease.[5]
- ^ "Former Two-Time All-American Bubba Smith Passes Away At Age 66". msuspartans.com. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ a b Dabe, By Christopher (August 4, 2011). "Local football legend Bubba Smith dies at 66". Beaumont Enterprise. Archived from the original on April 29, 2023. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ "Bubba Smith". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ "Bubba Smith obituary: NFL player turned beer pitchman dies at 66". Los Angeles Times. August 4, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
- ^ "Researchers Find CTE in 345 of 376 Former NFL Players Studied". Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. Retrieved March 26, 2023.