Chargers legend Billy Ray Smith Jr. passes away

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Chargers legend Billy Ray Smith Jr. handed away on Wednesday, July 29. He was 64 years outdated.

Smith constructed a legacy that stretched far past the soccer subject — from a state championship in Texas to the College Football Hall of Fame, and from the San Diego Chargers’ defensive position to the dwelling rooms of San Diego tv viewers.

Billy Ray attended Plano Senior High School in Texas, the place he helped the crew win a Texas Class 4A state championship. He then adopted within the footsteps of his father, Super Bowl champion Billy Ray Smith Sr., to the University of Arkansas, the place he matched his father as a two-time unanimous All-American.

Billy Ray was recognized not just for his bodily items — measurement, velocity, and power — but additionally for having one of many highest IQs within the NFL.

That mixture made him a major prospect within the 1983 NFL Draft. The San Diego Chargers chosen him fifth total, launching a decade-long profession spent fully within the Bolt helmet, carrying quantity 54.

Billy Ray turned one of many franchise’s most revered gamers, incomes crew MVP honors and leaving a long-lasting mark on the group. He typically mentioned coming to San Diego to play for the Chargers was every part he ever dreamed of.

PHOTOS: Billy Ray Smith Jr. remembered for life of service and strength

His influence, nonetheless, reached far past the sport. Alongside a number of teammates, Billy Ray helped create “Bates Street,” an after-school program that offered sports activities and actions for native children. He and different Chargers gamers helped fund this system for years, giving younger individuals alternatives, steerage, and a spot to belong.

It was an early instance of a dedication to service that might outline the remainder of his life. Billy Ray devoted himself to dozens of charities throughout San Diego.

It was throughout a United Cerebral Palsy telethon that he met ABC 10News anchor Kimberly Hunt. The two married in 1990. Two years later, they welcomed their daughter, Savannah.

Billy Ray embraced fatherhood with the identical enthusiasm he delivered to every part else.

“She’ll have a wet diaper, and I’ll be changing the wet diaper, and she’ll wait until the diaper is off to bring the heavy artillery,” Smith mentioned.

With Kimberly and Savannah by his facet, Billy Ray launched a profitable profession in broadcasting, becoming a member of Channel 10 as sports activities director in 1993. He later turned a San Diego radio staple on the long-running “Scott and BR” present, labored community tv broadcasts of school {and professional} soccer, and remained a fixture at ABC 10News all through his profession.

His dedication to serving others by no means wavered. As co-founder of the Great Friends Foundation, Billy Ray helped increase thousands and thousands of {dollars} for native navy households, touching numerous lives throughout San Diego.

“When he was drafted by the Chargers in 1983, he came into this city, and he did it with a generosity of spirit, which is how he lives his life. He never said no. Ever,” Kimberly mentioned.

In early July, that spirit of service introduced yet one more honor. Billy Ray and Kimberly had been named the Nice Guys of the Year, with the forty sixth annual gala set for October.

College Football Hall of Famer. Chargers legend. Broadcaster. Philanthropist. Devoted husband and father. Billy Ray Smith Jr. confirmed that true power is measured not simply by what you accomplish, however by how many individuals you raise up alongside the best way.

The household launched a press release Wednesday afternoon: