Charles Aaron Smith was born on 28 February 1945, in Orange, Texas USA, to Georgia Oreatha and Willie Ray Smith Sr., of African-American descent. He was an American Football player who later became an actor, best known as a defensive end for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders and Houston Oilers in the National Football League (NFL), as well as for his role as Moses Hightower in the “Police Academy” films.
A football star-turned-actor, how wealthy was Bubba Smith? Sources state that Smith acquired a wealth of over $500,000, accumulated during his football career, as well as through his involvement in the film and television industry.
Bubba Smith Net Worth $500,000
Smith grew up in nearby Beaumont, Texas. He developed an interest in football during his early years, as his father was an established high school coach. His brother, Tody Smith, was also a professional football player. Smith attended Beaumont’s Charlton-Pollard High School, playing for his father and establishing himself as one of the best high school players in Texas. He wanted to play for the University of Texas, but as they played in a segregated conference, he enrolled at Michigan State University instead, joining its team, the Spartans. While at Michigan, he was named All-American two times, and participated in ‘The Game of the Century’ in 1966, a 10–10 tie with Notre Dame considered one of the greatest college football games, with both teams being undefeated, untied and ranked atop the national polls. Notre Dame took the championship and Smith’s team finished second in the final voting for the national championship. He graduated from Michigan in 1966 with a degree in sociology, and was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
In 1967 Smith was selected first overall by the Baltimore Colts in the 1967 NFL Draft. He went on to spend five seasons with the team, playing in two Super Bowls, suffering defeat by the New York Jets in 1969, and then winning over the Dallas Cowboys in 1971. Smith’s tenure with the Colts greatly added to his net worth.
In 1972 he was traded to the Oakland Raiders, remaining for two seasons with the team, further increasing his wealth.
Smith then played for the Houston Oilers in 1975-1976, before retiring from professional football.
Over the course of his nine-year career as defensive end in the NFL, in which he was selected All-Pro, All-Conference two times, and participated in two Pro Bowls, Smith established a reputation as a valuable player and amassed a significant fortune.
Following his retirement, he went on to pursue an acting career, landing small parts in both the big and small screen in the late ’70s and early ’80s. His most notable role was that of Moses Hightower in the “Police Academy” film series, playing in six out of the seven movies, which enabled him to gain great popularity in the acting world. It also earned him a sizable net worth.
Aside from the popular film series, his other projects included the films “Stroker Ace”, “Black Moon Rising”, “The Silence of the Hams” and “Full Clip”, as well as the TV series such as “Blue Thunder”, “Married… with Children”, “Tales of the Gold Monkey”, “The Odd Couple” and “MacGyver”. All contributed to his wealth.
Smith was the longtime spokesman of the law firm Cohen, Snyder, Eisenberg & Katzenberg. He was also known for appearing in many Miller Lite beer ads, with his phrase “I also love the easy-opening cans”.
Smith died in 2011 aged 66, from heart disease perhaps brought on by acute drug intoxication. A few years after his death, it was revealed that he had suffered from CTE, a brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, being the 90th former NFL player to have had the disease.
When it comes to Smith’s personal life, very little has been known about it. He was once married, but sources don’t have any additional details regarding his private life.
