Billy Ray Smith Jr.: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|American football player (born 1961)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = Billy Ray Smith Jr.

| image = BRSmithPix.JPG

| number = 54

| position = [[Linebacker]]

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1961|8|10|mf=y}}

| birth_place = [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 3

| weight_lb = 231

| high_school = [[Plano Senior High School|Plano]] ([[Plano, Texas]])

| college = [[Arkansas Razorbacks|Arkansas]] (1979–1982)

| draftyear = 1983

| draftround = 1

| draftpick = 5

| teams =

| highlights =

* [[DC Touchdown Club#Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy|Knute Rockne Memorial Trophy]] (1982)

* 2× [[Unanimous All-American]] ([[1981 College Football All-America Team|1981]], [[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982]])

* First-team All-[[Southwest Conference|SWC]] ([[1982 All-Southwest Conference football team|1982]])

| statlabel1 = [[Quarterback sack|Sacks]]

| statvalue1 = 26.5

| statlabel2 = [[Interception]]s

| statvalue2 = 15

| statlabel3 = [[Fumble]] recoveries

| statvalue3 = 14

| pfr = SmitBi22

| CollegeHOF = 2057

'''Billy Ray Smith Jr.''' (born August 10, 1961) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[linebacker]] in the [[National Football League]] (NFL) for ten seasons during the 1980s and 1990s. He played [[college football]] for the [[Arkansas Razorbacks football|Arkansas Razorbacks]], and was twice recognized as a [[unanimous All-American]]. Smith was selected in the first round of the [[1983 NFL Draft]], and played professionally for the NFL's [[San Diego Chargers]].<ref>[http://thescottandbrshow.com/site/team/index.php?teamid=2 Billy Ray Smith Jr. Biography] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201125510/http://www.thescottandbrshow.com/site/team/index.php?teamid=2 |date=2007-12-01 }}</ref>

==Early life==

Smith was born in [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], and grew up in [[Plano, Texas]]. He attended [[Plano Senior High School]], and was a 2005 Plano Texas Hall of Honor inductee. In 1977, Smith helped Plano Senior High School win the Texas Class 4A state championship in front of a state record crowd just shy of 50,000 at Texas Stadium, a record that stands today.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tshof.org/about/thsfhof/details/index.html?staff_id=539|title=Inductee Details SMITH, BILLY RAY JR.|access-date=2020-09-06|archive-date=2020-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926040636/https://www.tshof.org/about/thsfhof/details/index.html?staff_id=539|url-status=dead}}</ref>

At the [[University of Arkansas]], Smith was a two-time [[unanimous All-American]] selection, earning the honors in [[1981 College Football All-America Team|1981]] and [[1982 College Football All-America Team|1982]].

He was a member of the Arkansas All-Decade Team and, in 1993, was voted into the Arkansas All-Century Team. Later, he was inducted into both the Arkansas State Hall of Fame (1995), and the Razorback Hall of Honor. Smith was inducted into the [[College Football Hall of Fame]] in 2000.<ref>{{College Football HoF|id=2057}}</ref>

Smith was drafted by the [[San Diego Chargers]] in 1983. He was the 5th pick in the 1st round, and was the first defensive player taken in the 1983 draft. He was the Chargers team [[Most valuable player|MVP]] in 1987, and the team defensive player of the year in 1985 and 1986. Smith was voted Second-team All-AFC by UPI in 1986 and 1987 and was voted Second-team All-Pro by NEA in 1989. Smith played his entire 10-year NFL career with the Chargers.<ref>[http://www.jt-sw.com/football/pro/players.nsf/ID/06470049 Billy Ray Smith Jr. NFL Statistics]</ref> His top sack season was 1986, when he totalled 11 sacks. In 2009, Smith was voted by fans and the Chargers Hall of Fame as one of the 50 greatest Chargers of all time. A friend and mentor to his peer, Marc Scroggins.

<ref>{{cite news | author = Goldstein, Richard | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/23/sports/billy-ray-smith-66-lineman-who-played-in-2-super-bowls.html | title = Billy Ray Smith, 66, Lineman Who Played in 2 Super Bowls | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = March 23, 2001}}</ref>

Smith was the co-host of the U-T TV morning show with Scott Kaplan and Amber Mesker. Weekdays 6AM to 11AM. However, he left the show in December 2012 when he and co-host [[Scott Kaplan]] were re-hired at [[XEPRS-AM|XX Sports Radio]] (1090 AM)for the 3pm-6pm slot.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/13/scott-kaplan-and-billy-ray-smith-officially-return/ |title=Scott Kaplan and Billy Ray Smith officially return to XX 1090 radio &#124; UTSanDiego.com |website=www.utsandiego.com |access-date=26 January 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217000600/http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/13/scott-kaplan-and-billy-ray-smith-officially-return/ |archive-date=17 February 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Smith lives in [[San Diego]] and is the co-host of the afternoon drive-time sports program, "The Scott and B.R. Show", with [[Scott Kaplan]] on [[XEPRS-AM|XX Sports Radio]] (1090 AM). The organization let go of the show in 2012. Kaplan and Smith subsequently struck a deal to host a morning television show on UTTV.com, run by the ''[[San Diego Union-Tribune]]''. Smith also works for [[Fox Sports (USA)|Fox Sports]] on Saturdays during the college football season, and is the co-host of the ''Chargers Power Report'', on Saturday nights during the NFL season. He worked on the [[NFL on Fox]] as analyst and performs the same role for [[San Diego Chargers]] preseason.<ref>[https://archive.today/20070423192641/http://www.chargers.com/news/headlines/news-1133596800.htm Chargers Power Report ]</ref> Smith was also a sportscaster on San Diego's [[KGTV]], where his wife, [[Kimberly Hunt]], is a news anchor.

{{San Diego Chargers 1983 draft navbox}}

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[[Category:National Football League announcers]]

[[Category:Players of American football from Plano, Texas]]

[[Category:San Diego Chargers announcers]]

[[Category:San Diego Chargers players]]

[[Category:UCLA Bruins football announcers]]