RIP Officer Hightower

[Drakken]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Legendary-NFL-defender-Bubba-Smith-passes-away-a?urn=nfl-wp4511

Legendary NFL defender Bubba Smith passes away at age 66

By Doug Farrar

Legendary NFL defender Bubba Smith passes away at age 66Former NFL defensive end and longtime television and movie actor Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Wednesday. Coroner's reports have not yet been released, but according to the Los Angeles Times, it is believed that Smith died of natural causes.

Smith attended Michigan State, where he was one of the most dominant collegiate defensive linemen of all time. He won All-America honors in 1965 and 1966, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1988.

Selected first overall in the 1967 NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts, Smith soon became, along with Deacon Jones, one of the first truly modern-style pass-rushers and sack artists. He played long before sacks were first tabulated as an official NFL statistic in 1982, but he was known from the start of his professional career to be nearly impossible to block.

He played for three teams — the Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers, appeared in two Pro Bowls and was named First-Team All-Pro in 1971. Smith played in two Super Bowls — Super Bowl III, which the Colts lost to the New York Jets in an enormous upset, and Super Bowl V, which the Colts won with a last-second field goal against the Dallas Cowboys. Smith retired after the 1976 season, having played in 111 regular-season games.

After his football career ended, Smith became perhaps even more well-known as an actor. He struck gold in the "Police Academy" series of movies, playing the hyper-strong Moses Hightower and providing a series of riotous slapstick scenes.

Smith was also a very successful pitchman for Lite beer.

We always liked the easy-opening can, too. Godspeed, Mr. Smith.

[ulmont]

http://languish.org/forums/index.php?topic=4912.msg293648#msg293648

[Drakken]

I didn't know Bubba Smith from the NFL, but from the Police Academy series. So there.

[Solmyr]

I knew him from Married with Children.

[grumbler]

I didn't know Bubba Smith from the NFL, but from the Police Academy series. So there.

That's a strange concept to me, but of course you wouldn't have followed an NFL player.

He was one of the best NFL players ever.  He described his technique as "tackling the whole backfield, and then tossing out players without the ball until you get to the one with it."  As an actor he was a good NFL player.

[The Brain]

Bubba vs OJ?

[Eddie Teach]

Whatever happened to OJ? He was so good in those Naked Gun movies and Hertz commercials and then he just kind of disappeared. 

[Drakken]

Whatever happened to OJ? He was so good in those Naked Gun movies and Hertz commercials and then he just kind of disappeared. 

Isn't he in jail for another felony, a botched robbery? 

Simpson faced a possible life sentence with parole on the kidnapping charge, and mandatory prison time for armed robbery.[50] On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison[51] with the possibility of parole in about 9 years.[6] On September 4, 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court denied a request for bail during Simpson's appeal. In October 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his convictions.[52] He is now serving his sentence as Nevada Department of Corrections inmate #1027820 at the Lovelock Correctional Center.[53]

[BuddhaRhubarb]

RIP big guy!

[sbr]

I didn't know Bubba Smith from the NFL, but from the Police Academy series. So there.

That's a strange concept to me, but of course you wouldn't have followed an NFL player.

He was one of the best NFL players ever.  He described his technique as "tackling the whole backfield, and then tossing out players without the ball until you get to the one with it."  As an actor he was a good NFL player.

That's debatable, but I suppose.  He is definitely one of the best college football players ever and is in that Hall of Fame.

[CountDeMoney]

The only Spartoon worth a damn.

[Neil]

The only Spartoon worth a damn.

Derrick Mason?  Morten Andersen?

[CountDeMoney]

Mason was Tennessee tainted, and Andersen wasn't even a fucking American.

[Neil]

Mason's the best receiver ever to wear a Ravens uniform.  As for Andersen, his numbers speak for themselves.