We lost our NFL team years ago, when the San Diego Chargers moved.

We have not lost our memories of great players-coaches-games.

That’s why Wednesday night’s news of the passing of star LB-Billy Ray Smith was so hard to take.

We knew it was coming, his likely passing, from the aftermath of concussions that developed into dementia, and yet it left a hole in your heart when it happened so quickly.

Smith was (64).  His 10-year career was so brilliant during a series of bad Chargers football seasons.  A high first round pick in the 1983-QB draft, Smith was the first of a series of defensive stars the Bolts chose to try to compliment the Air Coryell era of QB-Dan Fouts.

Smith arrived and played immediately.  So did pass rusher Leslie O’Neal.  Then came DE-Lee Williams and CB-Gil Byrd.

Billy Ray excelled early even as the greatness of the Fouts led team slipped away.

He had 8-great years with the Bolts.  29-takeaways.  26-sacks.  An athleticism, an intelligence,  not often seen from a middle linebacker.

He exited because of leg injuries, retired into television, became a star.  Moved into sports-talk radio-became so popular.

He was so proud of his heritage-Texas born, an Arkansas Razorback, wearing the Bolt, and the respect for his daddy, the big DE-who played for the Rams-Steelers-Baltimore Colts too.

Age brought the end results of all the tackles, the hits, the blocks.  Concussions brought dementia, which brought on his passing after 14-years battling the disease.

He was so different, facing his death with knowledge, courage, understanding, what was just ahead.

He was so classy even as his memory left him, and his communication skills eroded.

I close my eyes and I see his forever smile.  I hear his hearty laugh.  I remember his death grip handshake.

But more than anything else, I remember his ‘Dignity-Facing-Death’.  He knew what was ahead, accepted it, and lived the best he could

Billy Ray Smith, number 54 in your program, number 1-in your heart, as complete a linebacker as you’d want.  An even more complete person.

Billy Ray Smith, Junior Seau, Tony Gwynn-special people who gave us special times, but left us too early.

Football was his life.  Football took his life.  Thru the joys of watching #54 is the sadness of knowing what happened to #54 too.

The Chargers have left us.  The memories of ‘BR’ have not and never will.

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