Overview
- Smith died peacefully surrounded by family on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, his family said in a public statement.
- He was the No. 5 overall pick in the 1983 NFL draft, spent his entire 10-year career with the Chargers and earned honors including two unanimous All‑American selections at Arkansas and a place in the College Football Hall of Fame.
- After retiring from the NFL, Smith built a long broadcasting career in San Diego and co-founded local charities such as the Great Friends Foundation and the Bates Street after‑school program.
- The family said his dementia was caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive brain disease linked to repeated head impacts that can only be definitively diagnosed after death through brain examination.
- The Chargers, owner Dean Spanos and San Diego civic leaders paid tribute to Smith and said memorial details will be announced later, and his death is likely to renew attention to player brain‑injury risks and related research and policy debates.