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Billy Ray Smith Jr.

Billy Ray Smith Jr. was born on August 10, 1961, in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the son of Billy Ray Smith Sr., a former NFL defensive lineman. From his earliest years, football was more than a game — it was a family language, a legacy, and a calling. Growing up in Plano, Texas, Smith helped lead Plano Senior High School to the Texas Class 4A state championship in 1977, giving early notice of the force he was about to become.

At the University of Arkansas (1979–1982), Smith became one of the most decorated defenders in college football history. He earned two-time unanimous All-American honors, captured the 1982 Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy, and set a school record with 63 tackles for loss that stood as a measure of his relentless, intelligent play. The San Diego Chargers made him the fifth overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft — the first defensive player selected that year — and Smith would repay that faith over a decade of unwavering loyalty.

Wearing number 54, Smith played every one of his ten professional seasons (1983–1992) in San Diego, reinventing himself from college defensive end to NFL linebacker with the kind of versatility that reflected his off-the-field intellect. He was said to possess one of the highest IQs in the NFL, and it showed in the way he studied the game. Over 126 games he recorded 26.5 sacks, 15 interceptions, and 14 fumble recoveries, earning team Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1985 and 1986, and team MVP in 1987. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000 and named to the Chargers' 50th Anniversary Team in 2009.

When his playing days ended, Smith did not leave San Diego. He joined KGTV as sports director in 1993 and spent decades co-hosting the beloved radio program "The Scott and B.R. Show" alongside Scott Kaplan on XX Sports Radio. He also lent his sharp defensive mind to Fox Sports as a college and NFL football analyst. Those who worked alongside him marveled at his preparation — studying every statistic of every team before going on the air.

Off the field and away from the microphone, Smith was perhaps best known for his generosity. He co-founded the Great Friends Foundation to support military families and helped establish the Bates Street after-school program. In 1990 he married Kimberly Hunt, the longtime KGTV news anchor he had met during a United Cerebral Palsy telethon — a love story that began, fittingly, in service to others. Together they raised their daughter, Savannah.

Billy Ray Smith Jr. passed away peacefully on July 29, 2026, surrounded by family, after a long battle with dementia caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). He was 64. He leaves behind a city that knew him not as a distant celebrity but as a neighbor, a friend, and a light that never dimmed.

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Billy Ray Smith Jr.

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