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Billy Ray Smith, top 5 NFL draft pick, dead at 64; family says CTE caused dementia
Thursday, July 30, 2026
Billy Ray Smith, a College Football Hall of Famer who was selected in the top 5 of the NFL draft, died at age 64. His family attributed his death to dementia caused by chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Smith played professional football before his Hall of Fame induction.
