Billy Ray Smith, top-5 NFL draft pick, dead at 64; family says CTE caused dementia

Former San Diego Chargers linebacker Billy Ray Smith died this week at the age of 64, his family announced. The family said Smith, a College Football Hall of Famer, "faced [a] long journey with dementia caused by CTE ." Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts rather than a single injury, according to the Mayo Clinic. More than 100 former NFL players have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE, according to a University of