The cause was not yet known, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said, adding, “There is no indication of anything other than natural death."
The 6-foot-7 (or possibly 6-foot-8), nearly300-pound Smith, a defensive lineman, was the No. 1 draft pick for the Baltimore Colts in 1967. He spent nine seasons in theN.F.L., playing on two Pro Bowl teams, in 1970 and 1971. In 1971 he helped propel the Colts to a 16-13 victory over the DallasCowboys in Super Bowl V.
Traded to the Oakland Raiders before the start of the 1972 season, Smith played two seasons with them before winding uphis career with the Houston Oilers. He retired after the 1976 season.
Afterward, Smith made a career of playing rather large men on film and television. He was best known for his role as Moses Hightower, the mild-mannered florist-turned-lawman in the film comedy “Police Academy” (1984) and many of its sequels.
Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/sports/football/bubba-smith-nfl-star-and-actor-dies-at-66.html
