Bubba Smith
 Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith February 28, 1945 – August 3, 2011 |
I haven't ever sat down and watched a game willingly and have only done so in polite deference to those with whom I was visiting on those few occasions I did submit.
When I was in high school Bubba Smith was a biggie among my peers in the pit of the hellhole of the world, Goose Creek High School in Duck Ditch, South Carolina 29445.
He was often a topic of discussion and I dare say over the years I cultivated a respect for the man who crossed boundaries and was generally a great guy in addition to his career as pro footballer.
My particular favorites were a number of commercial spots he did which were witty and worldly and of course the Police Academy franchise simply would not have been the same without him.
It was not known until after his passing that he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurological condition generally related to repeated concussion and sub-concussive head trauma such as that he incurred as the result of his ball play.
Here's to a great man who went down hard. Rest in peace.