Do You Remember Hightower from Police Academy? He Was a No. 1 NFL Draft Pick
It is Charles Aaron Smith. He was born on February 28th, 1945, in the small town of Orange, Texas. However, he is better known as Bubba Smith.
His father was a football coach. The school team had more than 200 victories under his direction. Bubba first played on his father’s team in the Beaumont area. After graduation, he wanted to play for The Texas Longhorns. However, the coach refused to give him a scholarship due to racism.
Bubba Smith did not despair and went on to another part of the country. He became a player for the Michigan State University team. In several years later, his name adorned the University Hall of Fame. Smith got into the NFL in 1967, after the draft. He was selected by the Baltimore Colts. In the next five years of his career, Bubba participated in the Super Bowl twice.
Nevertheless, his career did not go well. In 1972, he suffered a serious knee injury, crashing into a metal goal post. He missed the whole season. Then, Bubba Smith was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. At 31, Bubba ended his career due to chronic knee pain.
In the late 70s, Smith began to star in the movies. Although he had no degree in theatre, he played the role perfectly – a lanky fellow joker. Besides, he did it comically and naturally. Police Academy (1984) broke the box office. Its budget was only 4 million. Surprisingly, it grossed 80 million worldwide.
In 1983 he published his autobiography Kill, Bubba, Kill. Smith shared his thoughts on his old sporting days. In particular, Bubba believed that the 1968 Super Bowl II (Packers–Raiders) was falsified. In his opinion, this accelerated the process of the NFL and the AFL merger.
He continued to act in films and programs, but his most memorable role, naturally, was Moses Hightower.
On August 3rd, 2011, he was found dead in his apartment. Bubba was 66 years old. Undoubtedly, he was a gifted man who managed to leave a bright light in both sports and cinema.
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