Chargers Legend Billy Ray Smith Jr. Dies At 64 After Battle With CTE-Related Dementia

Billy Ray Smith Jr., the College Football Hall of Fame linebacker who became one of the most beloved figures in San Diego Chargers history, has died at 64. His family announced his passing in a statement released Wednesday, saying he died peacefully, surrounded by family, after a long struggle with dementia caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

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The family’s statement described Smith as having faced his journey with the degenerative brain disease with bravery, dignity and strength, and remembered him as a devoted father, husband, son and friend who brought joy and laughter into the lives of everyone around him. CTE, a condition linked to repetitive head trauma common in contact sports, can cause cognitive decline, mood swings and depression, and can only be definitively diagnosed after death.

Smith was the fifth overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft out of Arkansas, where he was a two-time unanimous All-American under coach Lou Holtz and led Plano Senior High School in Texas to a state championship before that. He spent his entire 10-year NFL career with the Chargers, from 1983 to 1992, racking up 26.5 sacks, 15 interceptions and 14 fumble recoveries over 137 games. His best individual season came in 1989, when he earned second-team All-Pro honors. He was later named to the franchise’s 50th-anniversary team and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

Chargers owner Dean Spanos praised Smith as far more than a great player, calling him larger than life, someone who lit up every room and was the kind of friend everyone deserves. After retiring, Smith transitioned into broadcasting, becoming sports director at San Diego’s ABC affiliate and co-hosting a long-running, widely popular local sports radio show alongside Scott Kaplan, while also covering college and pro football nationally.

Off the air, Smith was known for extensive charitable work throughout San Diego. He helped start “Bates Street,” an after-school program for local kids, and co-founded the Great Friends Foundation, which raised millions of dollars for military families. It was through a United Cerebral Palsy telethon that he met his future wife, ABC 10News anchor Kimberly Hunt; the two were named Nice Guys of the Year earlier this month, with a gala honoring them planned for October. He is survived by Hunt and their daughter, Savannah.

Smith’s father, Billy Ray Smith Sr., also played college football at Arkansas and spent 14 seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Colts.