Baltimore Colts Great Bubba Smith Dies in Los Angeles

The LA Times is reporting this afternoon that former Baltimore Colts star Bubba Smith was found dead today in his home in Los Angeles.   Smith is in the collegiate Hall of Fame and carved out an acting career after retiring from the NFL, starring in such films as “Police Academy.”     His passing is a reminder to Colts fans that this franchise led a pretty storied existence before they ever came to Naptown, and Smith was a big part of that.

In particular, Smith anchored the Colts defensive line that defined the team in the late 1960s and early 1970s, resulting in two Super Bowl appearances.   The NFL Colts famously fell to the AFL New York Jets in Super Bowl III, but  regrouped after the merger to capture the title in Super Bowl V.  In that game, played after the 1970 season, Baltimore, now in the AFC, beat the NFC’s Dallas Cowboys, 16-13.

Bubba Smith was 66 and will always be a part of Horseshoe History.