Former Chargers LB Billy Ray Smith Jr. Dies at 64; Family Cites CTE

Former Chargers linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer Billy Ray Smith Jr. died at 64, his family announced. They publicly attributed his death to dementia caused by CTE — a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts that can only be definitively diagnosed after death. The No. 5 overall pick in the 1983 draft, Smith played 10 seasons in San Diego. His family's disclosure continues a pattern of post-mortem CTE diagnoses shared to raise awareness of football's long-term health risks.