He was a giant. Truly. When you saw Bubba Smith on screen in those Miller Lite commercials or as the soft-spoken but terrifyingly strong Moses Hightower in Police Academy, you weren't just looking at an actor. You were looking at 6 feet 7 inches of pure athletic history. But when the news broke in the summer of 2011 that he’d been found dead in his Los Angeles home, the initial shock quickly turned into a long, complicated search for answers. People wanted to know what did Bubba Smith die from, and honestly, the answer wasn't as simple as a single "event."
It was a messy combination of modern health struggles and the lingering, invisible ghosts of his days in the NFL.
The Day the Giant Fell
On August 3, 2011, Los Angeles County coroners were called to Smith's home in Baldwin Hills. He was 66. For a man who seemed indestructible during his time with the Baltimore Colts, 66 felt way too young. At first, it looked like natural causes. No foul play, no dramatic scene. Just a big man who had passed away alone.
But the autopsy told a much darker, more clinical story.
The official report from the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office eventually dropped, and it pointed to acute phentermine intoxication. If that sounds like a mouthful, it’s basically the chemical name for a stimulant used in weight-loss pills. Bubba was struggling with his weight, which is a common battle for retired linemen who spent decades being told to stay as heavy as possible to hold the line. His heart, already under immense pressure from his massive frame, simply couldn't take the stimulant. He had "pronounced" heart disease—specifically, his heart was enlarged and his vessels were narrowed.
It’s a tragic irony. A man known for his physical dominance was ultimately taken down by a pill meant to help him manage that very physique.
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The Invisible Culprit: Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy
For a few years, "weight loss pill overdose" was the end of the story. But science caught up. In 2016, researchers at the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank made a massive announcement that changed how we view his legacy. After his death, Smith’s brain had been donated for study, and the results were grim.
He had Stage 3 CTE.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy is the bogeyman of the NFL. It’s a progressive degenerative brain disease found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma. While we now talk about it constantly, back when Bubba was playing for the Colts, Raiders, and Oilers, nobody was tracking concussions. You just "got your bell rung" and went back in.
Stage 3 is advanced. On a scale of 1 to 4, Bubba was right near the edge. This means he likely spent his final years dealing with cognitive impairment, mood swings, and perhaps even depression or memory loss that he kept hidden from the public eye. When you ask what did Bubba Smith die from, you have to include the brain damage. Even if the pills stopped his heart, the CTE was eroding the man inside the body.
A Career Built on Collision
To understand why his brain looked the way it did, you have to look at how he played. Bubba wasn't a finesse player. He was a force of nature. At Michigan State, he was so dominant that fans used to chant "Kill, Bubba, Kill." It sounds barbaric now, but it was a badge of honor then.
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He was the number one overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft. He won a Super Bowl with the Colts. But every one of those tackles, every head-slap (which was legal back then!), and every collision at the line of scrimmage was a micro-deposit into a bank account of neurological debt.
- He played nine seasons in the NFL.
- He faced legendary offensive linemen who were just as tough as he was.
- The equipment in the 60s and 70s was—let's be real—basically cardboard compared to today's tech.
The Heart and the Weight
Linemen have it rough. They spend their twenties forced to eat 6,000 calories a day. Then, the minute they retire, that metabolism slows down, the joints give out, and the weight becomes a prison. Bubba’s heart was significantly enlarged (cardiomegaly). This wasn't just "athlete's heart"; it was a heart struggling to pump blood through a 300-plus pound frame that was no longer active on the field.
The phentermine was likely a desperate attempt to get the weight off. High blood pressure and a damaged heart don't mix with stimulants. It’s a dangerous cocktail that many former athletes turn to when they feel their health slipping away.
Why Bubba's Story Changed the Game
Bubba Smith wasn't just another name on a list of deceased players. He was a cultural icon. When the news about his CTE went public, it hit differently. He was "Hightower." He was the guy from the commercials who could rip the top off a beer can. Seeing that such a vibrant, funny, and seemingly healthy man was suffering from advanced brain degeneration forced the NFL and the public to stop ignoring the "concussion crisis."
He became a cornerstone of the massive concussion lawsuit against the NFL. His diagnosis proved that even the most famous and successful players weren't immune to the long-term damage of the sport.
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Actionable Takeaways and Lessons from Bubba’s Passing
Looking back at the tragedy of Bubba Smith, there are clear lessons for anyone following the health of former athletes or dealing with similar health hurdles. It isn't just about "what happened"; it's about what we can do better now.
1. Monitor Cardiovascular Stress with Weight Management
If you or someone you know is trying to lose significant weight—especially after a lifetime of high-impact sports—avoid "quick fix" stimulants. Phentermine and similar drugs can be lethal if there is undiagnosed heart disease. Always prioritize a full cardiac screening (including an EKG and potentially an echocardiogram) before starting any chemical weight-loss regimen.
2. Recognize the Symptoms of CTE
While CTE can currently only be definitively diagnosed after death, the symptoms are manageable if caught early. If a former athlete shows signs of:
- Unexplained irritability or "short fuse"
- Memory lapses or confusion
- Loss of executive function (struggling with daily tasks)
It is vital to seek a neurologist who specializes in traumatic brain injury. Modern therapies can help manage the behavioral symptoms even if the underlying disease can't be cured yet.
3. Support Brain Donation Programs
The only reason we know the full truth of Bubba Smith's struggle is because his family made the brave choice to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation. If you are part of an athletic family, discussing brain donation is a way to turn a personal loss into a tool for saving future generations of players.
4. The "Big Man" Myth
We need to stop assuming that because someone is large and strong, they are healthy. The "Giant" often hides the most fragile health. Regular monitoring of blood pressure and cholesterol is non-negotiable for those with a large frame, regardless of how "tough" they seem.
Bubba Smith gave us decades of entertainment and some of the best defensive play in football history. But his final contribution—the grim reality of his autopsy—might be his most important legacy. It stripped away the glamour of the NFL and showed the world that the price of the game is often paid long after the final whistle blows.