NFF College Football Hall of Famer Billy Ray Smith Jr. Passes Away
From SportsDay Media Billy Ray Smith Jr., the legendary Arkansas defensive end and 2000 NFF College Football Hall of Fame inductee, passed away July 29. He was 64. "Billy Ray represented everything the College Football Hall of Fame stands for," said NFF Chairman Archie Manning. "He was an extraordinary player whose toughness and excellence helped define Arkansas football, but he was just as respected for the way he carried himself away from the field. He will always be remembered as one of our game's greats." Smith contributed to one of the greatest family lineages in college football history. His father, Billy Ray Smith Sr., lettered two years as a tackle at Arkansas and earned All-Southwest Conference honors in 1956. Billy Ray Jr. expanded the family's reign from 1979–82, lettering four years while earning unanimous All-America honors as a defensive end in 1981 and 1982. Both father and son were named to the Arkansas All-Century Team. Billy Ray Jr. served ...