Sturdy, Broad-shouldered Alan Autry was a former Green Bay Packer who decided, after three years of Sunday tackles, to go into acting, and has since put together a career that has included eight seasons on "In the Heat of the Night" (NBC, 1987-92; CBS, 1992-94) as Bubba Skinner, the police captain resistant to change. His character became more prominent as the series progressed and other actors fell by the wayside and he continued the portrayal into 1995 in the series of TV- movies NBC produced with the original cast.The Louisiana native began his acting career in 1978 when Robert Altman cast
