Defensive Linemen in the Movies: Bubba Smith

Bubba Smith landed in a role that was repeated many times in the Police Academy series. He was Moses Hightower in that series of movies. Smith would have likely been an All-time great in the NFL had he not torn up a knee getting tangled in the first down chains in a 1972 pre-season game. He hung on in the NFl through 1975 and then his acting career began in earnest.

Smith began acting, as many do, playing a bit role in a Tv series. For him it was The Odd Couple

Five years later, in 1978, he had two bit parts in Superdome (a TV movie) as All-Pro Moses Gordine

and as Rojak in Wonder Woman- Light-fingered Lad.y.

Superdome

Wonder Woman

He played a heavy named Claude in the TV series Good Times (which has the best theme ever of any TV series in our view). 

The Police Acadamy is still his calling card, that was in 1984. Also in 1984 was Blue Thunder a TV series which he stalled as Lyman 'Bubba' Kelsey along with Dick Butkus, Dana Carvey and others along with an awesome helicopter that helped them fight crime.

For the rest of Smith's filmography click here. 

Bubba Smith as "Kurt" in television production Half Nelson—

Smith's career went well into the 1990s. Here he is on Married, With Children—