Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith (February 28, 1945 – August 3, 2011) was an American professional football defensive end and actor.

Smith played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers.

For about a decade following his retirement from football, he appeared in various commercials for Miller Lite, alongside Chicago Bears linebacker Dick Butkus.

[4] Smith was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurological condition generally related to head trauma.

[8] Early in the first quarter, Smith tackled Notre Dame starting quarterback Terry Hanratty, who sustained a separated left shoulder.

Michigan State retired his number 95 jersey on September 23, 2006, prior to the Spartans' home game against Notre Dame, amid repeated cheers of his old slogan from the student section.

1 overall pick in the 1967 NFL draft, taken by the Baltimore Colts with a selection originally held by the expansion New Orleans Saints, which had been traded for quarterback Gary Cuozzo.

However, in interviews, Smith stated that he would never wear the ring, out of a sense of disappointment that he and his teammates were unable to win Super Bowl III.

[11] Smith was injured at Tampa Stadium in the 1972 preseason, when he ran into a solid steel pole the NFL was using at the time to mark yardage and missed the season.

His legacy is the inspiration behind the documentary, Through the Banks of the Red Cedar, written and directed by MSU teammate Gene Washington's daughter, Maya.

After retiring from professional football, Smith began acting in small movie and television roles in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

He also played as the chauffeur for Ned Beatty's character, Clyde Torkle, in the movie Stroker Ace starring Burt Reynolds.

[16][17][18] On May 24, 2016, it was announced that Smith had the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative illness affecting unknown numbers of former athletes in contact sports.

The findings were confirmed by researchers affiliated with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation, and released with the permission of the executor of Smith's estate.