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Former Raiders Star Steve Smith Dies 20 Years After ALS Diagnosis

HIS FIGHT IS OVER

The fullback nicknamed “Superman” had not been able to walk or talk in years.

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Sean Haffy/Getty

Former Raiders fullback Steve Smith, who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease 20 years ago, has died at the age of 57. Smith, who was nicknamed “Superman” for his toughness on the field, fought a fierce battle against the degenerative motor neuron disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis—unable to speak or walk for a decade. Former teammates like Bo Jackson regularly visited Smith while he was cared for by his ex-cheerleader wife. “He laid his body on the line for me hundreds of times," Jackson told the York Daily Record in 2019. "I'm just glad God let him stay around as long as he has so I can go see him.”

Read it at York Daily Record

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