Smith Only a Spectator in Revival

He was Mr. Charger during those years when the NFL draft sentenced good players to hard time in San Diego.

Linebacker Billy Ray Smith, however, never complained. He was always the optimist, the steady hand on an ever-changing team, who was playing for the day when it would all turnaround in his favor.

That day has arrived, and now Smith is in no condition to enjoy it. A torn tendon, located just above his hamstring, has stubbornly refused to heal, and so he reluctantly remains on injured reserve as a spectator.

“It’s a heartbreaker,” Smith said. “It’s like working for six months with your daughter to get her to walk and then being gone when she takes her first step. It’s that kind of deal, except this is working with something for 10 years, and then not being there for it.”

The Chargers have an opportunity to end a decade of frustration with a playoff-clinching victory Sunday over the Raiders in the Coliseum, and Smith will not be there for the party.

“I’ll be thrilled for them, but I’m also frustrated,” he said. “It hurts too much to stand there on the sideline watching the game or watching it on TV for that matter. It’s hard to go through this right now, but how spoiled would I be, I mean with the kind of life I’ve had, to bitch and moan about being injured right now?

“I’ve got a beautiful wife, a beautiful baby girl and I still am a part of the team albeit somewhat removed from the action. If I were to sit around and say, ‘Why me?’ that would drive me nuts. I realize how lucky I have been.”

Smith holds out hope that his torn tendon will respond to treatment and allow him to play in the playoffs, if needed. But it has shown no improvement for more than a month.

If healthy, there is no guarantee that he would be added to the roster. The Chargers have a new coaching staff this season, and while they are familiar with Smith’s reputation, they have not seen him in action. The team is winning, and Coach Bobby Ross believes in roster stability.

Smith becomes a free agent at the end of the season, and even if his health improves, it’s doubtful he will play for the Chargers again.

“It’s a hard thing to talk about, but because of my history of injuries and because we do have players playing well, I think it’s fair assessment to say I may not play here next year,” Smith said. “Retirement is an option, but I never thought of it during this season.

“I can understand doing that in a situation where a guy was a duck the year before, but when I played last year, I played pretty well. I made a lot of plays. It’s not the level of play that’s a concern, but how long I’ll last before I get hurt again. The whole thing will end up being decided on that one issue.”

The Chargers selected Smith in the first round of the 1983 draft--a year after their last visit to the playoffs. While the team struggled, Smith went on to become of Chargers’ most appreciated performers.

The losses began to pile up, however, and while controversy became the Chargers’ constant companion, Smith stayed clear.

Now there are more victories to count than losses, and it is time for longtime players such as Smith and Gill Byrd to take a bow.

“He’s going through what was my biggest fear,” Byrd said. “Being here for so long, being here through all the turmoil, through all the losing seasons, through all the change and not winning, my greatest fear was not having an active part in it when we started winning.

“I know the blood, sweat and tears B.R. has shed for this organization and it has to be hard on him to have go this way. I feel for him, I really do.”

Charger Notes

Coach Bobby Ross said after practice Wednesday that he considered starting safety Stanley Richard (hip flexor) doubtful for Sunday’s game with the Raiders but was optimistic about the condition of defensive end Chris Mims (knee). Richard missed last week’s game with the Bengals, and Ross said Darren Carrington will start in his place again if Richard is unable to play.