How Uncle Lefty saved Bubba Smith's Career

Football great Bubba Smith has passed away. I don't remember him as a player, but I do remember him as an "actor" I think he was best when playing himself in the Miller Lite commercials of the late 70s and 80s.

Although I think this lead to some controversy when he was upset that fans at his Alma Mater were cheering "Tastes Great... Less Filling" instead of "Go Green... Go White".

My best Bubba Smith memory involves my Uncle Lefty. Lefty was quite an athlete, he played football against Red Grange for Wabash college back in the 1920s. Later in life he was an official and worked practices for MSU. My best recollection of his Bubba Smith story goes something like this:

Every play I kept throwing my flag because Bubba was lined up offside - in the neutral zone. I finally told him, "Bubba, your too big, you should lineup half at yard further back." The rest was history. If it wasn't for me you'd never have heard of him!

I really do not do that story justice, unfortunately, Uncle Lefty has long passed. He was a treasure trove of great stories.