Bubba Smith, a tremendous presence in the NFL who went on to a fruitful career in TV and film, was found dead on Wednesday in his Los Angeles home, reports the
New York Times. Smith was 66-years-old.
The 6-foot-7, nearly 300-pound Smith was the Baltimore Colts’ number one draft pick in 1967, and helped the team to victory in Super Bowl V. The powerful defensive lineman also spent some of his nine-season NFL career with the Oakland Raiders and the Houston Oilers.
After retiring from football in 1976, Smith went on to find success on both the big and small screens. He was best known for his role as Moses Hightower, a florist-turned-lawman, in the 1984 comedy “Police Academy” but also had roles on TV series like “Blue Thunder,” “Good Time,” “Charlie’s Angels,” “Semi-Tough,” “Hart to Hart,” “Married with Children,” and “Family Matters.” Smith even appeared in a well-known series of Miller Lite commercials in the 1970s and ‘80s.
Although the cause of Smith’s death is still unknown, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office stated that “There is no indication of anything other than a natural death.”
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