Former San Diego Chargers linebacker and College Football Hall of Famer Billy Ray Smith Jr. has died at 64. His family announced Wednesday that he passed away peacefully after battling CTE-caused dementia, praising his bravery and dignity throughout his illness.

Dean Spanos, Chargers owner, called Smith "larger than life." The fifth overall pick in the 1983 NFL draft out of Arkansas, Smith played 10 seasons with the Chargers, earning a spot on the franchise's 50th anniversary team with 15 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries and 13 forced fumbles. A two-time All-American, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

After retiring, Smith became sports director at the ABC affiliate in San Diego and co-hosted a long-running radio show. His father, Billy Ray Smith Sr., also played at Arkansas and in the NFL from 1957 to 1970. CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head trauma, can only be diagnosed postmortem.