03/01/2026
Today in Black History (2/28/26) ...
On February 28, 1945, Charles Aaron Smith, an American professional football player and actor; was born in Orange, Texas.
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]
Smith was born on February 28, 1945, in Orange, Texas, to Willie Ray Smith Sr. and Georgia Oreatha Curl Smith, and raised in nearby Beaumont. His father, Willie Ray Smith Sr., was a football coach who earned 235 victories at three high schools in the Beaumont area. Bubba had the opportunity to play for his father at Charlton-Pollard High School in Beaumont.[2] He developed into one of the state's best-ever high school football players.[6] Smith's younger brother Tody Smith played collegiately for the University of Southern California, and professionally for the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Oilers, and Buffalo Bills.
