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Former Chargers star Billy Ray Smith Jr. dies at 64. His family blames CTE
Summary by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk Los Angeles Times
· July 30, 2026
· 1 min read
Story provenance No corrections
Summary created by The Los Angeles Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Published by Los Angeles Times Original story Read at the source (via Google News) Source published Jul 30, 2026 Indexed here Jul 31, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway The Times reported on the passing of the former Chargers star and the family's attribution of his death to CTE.
A former star player of the Chargers, Billy Ray Smith Jr, has passed away at the age of 64. His family attributes his death to CTE, a condition often linked to repeated head trauma. Further information on his death is available from the Los Angeles Times.
The Times reported on the passing of the former Chargers star and the family's attribution of his death to CTE. Details of Smith's life and career can be found in the Los Angeles Times report, which provides more context on his passing and the family's statement regarding CTE.
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Category: local Published: July 30, 2026 Source: Los Angeles Times Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? A former star player of the Chargers, Billy Ray Smith Jr, has passed away at the age of 64. His family attributes his death to CTE, a condition often linked to repeated head trauma. Further…
When was this published? This article was first published on July 30, 2026 by Los Angeles Times and curated for The Los Angeles readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Los Angeles Times. To learn more about how The Los Angeles selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
Where can I find related coverage? See more local coverage from The Los Angeles, or browse our daily briefing and topic hubs .
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