Bronko Smiland; Ex-Rams Player

Bronko Smiland, 85, former Rams professional football player and paint industry executive. Born in Chisholm, Minn., he was an All-American tailback at the University of Arizona and went on to play for the Rams when the team was based in Cleveland. He moved to Los Angeles to enter the paint industry and in 1966 founded Smiland Paint Co., which manufactures Morwear and Conco brand house paints. In 1977, concerned that environmental restrictions might doom the paint industry, Smiland founded the Ad Hoc Committee of Small California Paint Manufacturers to contest certain measures. Because of that work, he was honored by the Southern California Paint and Coatings Assn. His company, which has grown from 15 employees to more than 200, earned a reputation as a fortress of advocacy for the “little guys” in the paint manufacturing and distribution market. On Wednesday in Pasadena.