Bubba Smith, a larger-than-life former Raiders player who enjoyed a successful acting career before dying five years ago, suffered from the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
The Boston-based Concussion Legacy Foundation made the announcement Tuesday after the executor of Smith's estate agreed to release the information.Smith, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound defensive end, played nine years in the NFL, including the 1973-74 seasons for the Raiders. He was part of the hallowed Oakland teams that featured Fred Biletnikoff, George Blanda, Jim Otto, Ken Stabler, Jack Tatum and Gene Upshaw.Stabler's family announced days before Super Bowl 50 that the quarterback suffered from CTE, which currently can be definitively confirmed only through a post-mortem exam.