Bubba Smith, the former NFL standout who starred as Moses Hightower in the Police Academy franchise, was found dead Wednesday in his Los Angeles home at the age of 66, reports the Los Angeles Times. While a cause of death has yet to be determined, it is believed that he died of natural causes. A two-time All-American at Michigan State University who later was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame, Smith spent nine seasons in the NFL as a defensive end and tackle, playing in two Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Colts. In the late 1970s, he transitioned into Hollywood, guest-starring in such TV series as Good Times, Charlie’s Angels, and Taxi before scoring as the imposing florist-turned-cop in the 1984 big-screen comedy Police Academy and its many sequels. Smith, who also starred in ABC’s short-lived police drama Blue Thunder in 1984, popped up in the early ’90s on shows like Married…with Children, MacGyver, and Family Matters.
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