Bruce Smith
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| Bruce Smith | |
|---|---|
| Position(s):Defensive end | Jersey #(s): 78 |
| Born: June 18 1963 Image:Flag of Virginia.svg Norfolk, Virginia | |
| Career Information | |
| Year(s): 1985-2003 | |
| NFL Draft: 1985 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | |
| College: Virginia Tech | |
| Professional Teams | |
| Career Stats | |
| Sacks | 200 |
| Games | 279 |
| INT | 2 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Career Highlights and Awards | |
| |
| College Hall of Fame | |
Bruce Bernard Smith (born June 18, 1963 in Norfolk, Virginia) is a former NFL football player who currently holds the NFL record for most career quarterback sacks with 200. He was born in Norfolk, Virginia.
Contents |
[edit] College career
Known as "The Sack Man" of Virginia Tech football, Bruce Smith capped his sensational college career in 1984 as the most honored player in Hokie history at the time. As a Tech player, Smith had a career total of 71 tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses totaling 504 yards. Smith had 46 career quarterback sacks, including 22 during his junior season in 1983 when he was named first-team All-America by the AFCA (Coaches) and Newspaper Enterprise Association. In 1984 Smith won the Outland Trophy as America's top lineman and was a consensus All-American.
[edit] Pro football career
[edit] Buffalo Bills
Bruce Smith attended Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills as the number one draft pick overall in the 1985 NFL Draft. Smith became known as a sack specialist, with 15 in 1986 and a personal season-best 19 in 1990. By 1989, Smith had already become the Bills' all-time sack leader when he reached his 52nd sack. In 1990, his defensive performance helped bring the Bills to Super Bowl XXV, but they eventually lost to the Bill Parcells-led New York Giants. Still Smith had an impressive performance in the game. He sacked Jeff Hostetler in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter, and later forced New York to turn the ball over on downs by tackling running back Ottis Anderson for a 2-yard loss on a fourth down conversion attempt.
At the height of his career Smith was known as one of the NFL's most fearsome defensive players. His sack record attests to this, though his public demeanor suggested he was quite mild-mannered off the field.
In 1991, Smith was hampered by knee problems and sat out most of the season.
During these years, Smith continued to be named to the Pro Bowl every season from 1987 to 1998 (except for his injury-laden 1991 season). In 1987, he was named the Pro Bowl MVP. Smith was twice named the AP's NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1990, 1996) and three times named UPI's AFC Defensive Player of the Year (1988, 1990, 1996).
By 1996, Smith was still putting up prolific numbers, with 90 tackles and 14 sacks. By 1997, Smith had 65 tackles and 14 sacks and by 1998, although he was getting older he still had a respectable 50 tackles and 10 sacks.
[edit] Washington Redskins
After the 1999 season, Smith signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent. In his first season, he posted 58 tackles and 10 sacks, although he was now playing in mostly in passing situations. He pressed onward in pursuit of Reggie White's all-time sacks record (198), which he finally passed in the thirteenth game of his nineteenth season in 2003. Smith finished the season with 200 career sacks.
Smith had hinted in interviews that 2003 would be his final season. However, he never completely ruled out continuing to play. But on February 24, 2004, the Redskins released Smith, saving $6.5 million in salary cap space.[1]
[edit] Honors
In his 19 NFL seasons, Smith played in 279 games, amassing 200 sacks, 2 interceptions, 33 forced fumbles, and 15 fumble recoveries, which he returned for 33 yards and a touchdown. Of his 19 seasons in the NFL, 14 of them were seasons where he had at least 10 sacks, a testament to his consistency year and year out. He was also named All-Pro 8 times.
In 1999, he was ranked number 58 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
In 2005, was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
In 2006, Bruce was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He will be eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
[edit] Current life
Bruce Smith lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with his wife of seventeen years, Carmen, and his teenage son. He works as a large-scale hotel designer, undertaking many projects with Armada Hoffler. Most recently he returned to Blacksburg where he purchased the Red Lion Inn and is currently redeveloping the site with a $50 million student-oriented apartment, hotel and restaurant complex.[1]
[edit] The Buffalo Stance
Bruce Smith is also responsible for popularizing the "Buffalo Stance." Smith would stand with his arms tightly crossed looking over to side. Neneh Cherry even sang a hit song called Buffalo Stance which reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
[edit] External links
- Virginia Tech Hall of Fame
- Pro-Football-Reference.com - career statistics.
[edit] References
- ^ "Red Lion Inn site plans become official", Roanoke Times. Retrieved on 2007-11-12.
| Preceded by Dean Steinkuhler | Outland Trophy Winners 1984 | Succeeded by Mike Ruth |
| Preceded by Reggie White (198) | Record for NFL Sacks in a Career 2003-current (200) | Succeeded by Current |
National Football League | NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team |
|---|
Joe Montana | Dan Fouts | Walter Payton | Eric Dickerson | Roger Craig | John Riggins | Jerry Rice | Steve Largent | James Lofton | Art Monk | Kellen Winslow | Ozzie Newsome | Anthony Muñoz | Jim Covert | Gary Zimmerman | Joe Jacoby | John Hannah | Russ Grimm | Bill Fralic | Mike Munchak | Dwight Stephenson | Mike Webster | Reggie White | Howie Long | Lee Roy Selmon | Bruce Smith | Randy White | Dan Hampton | Keith Millard | Dave Butz | Mike Singletary | Lawrence Taylor | Ted Hendricks | Jack Lambert | Andre Tippett | John Anderson | Carl Banks | Mike Haynes | Mel Blount | Frank Minnifield | Lester Hayes | Ronnie Lott | Kenny Easley | Deron Cherry | Joey Browner | Nolan Cromwell | Sean Landeta | Reggie Roby | Morten Andersen | Gary Anderson | Eddie Murray | Billy Johnson | John Taylor | Mike Nelms | Rick Upchurch | Bill Walsh | Chuck Noll |
AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award winners |
|---|
| 1971: A. Page • 1972: J. Greene • 1973: D. Anderson • 1974: J. Greene • 1975: M. Blount • 1976: J. Lambert • 1977: H. Martin • 1978: R. Gradishar • 1979: L. Selmon • 1980: L. Hayes • 1981: L. Taylor • 1982: L. Taylor • 1983: D. Betters • 1984: K. Easley • 1985: M. Singletary • 1986: L. Taylor • 1987: Re. White • 1988: M. Singletary • 1989: K. Millard • 1990: B. Smith • 1991: P. Swilling • 1992: C. Kennedy • 1993: R. Woodson • 1994: D. Sanders • 1995: B. Paup • 1996: B. Smith • 1997: D. Stubblefield • 1998: Re. White • 1999: W. Sapp • 2000: R. Lewis • 2001: M. Strahan • 2002: D. Brooks • 2003: R. Lewis • 2004: E. Reed • 2005: B. Urlacher • 2006: J. Taylor |
National Football League number one overall Draft picks |
|---|
| Berwanger • Francis • C. Davis • Aldrich • Cafego • Harmon • Dudley • Sinkwich • Bertelli • Trippi • Dancewicz • Fenimore • Gilmer • Bednarik • Hart • Rote • Wade • Babcock • Garrett • Shaw • Glick • Hornung • Hill • Duncan • Cannon • Mason • E. Davis • Baker • Parks • Frederickson • Nobis • Bu. Smith • Yary • Simpson • Bradshaw • Plunkett • Patulski • Matuszak • Jones • Bartkowski • Selmon • Bell • Campbell • Cousineau • B. Sims • Rogers • K. Sims • Elway • Fryar • Br. Smith • Jackson • Testaverde • Bruce • Aikman • George • Maryland • Emtman • Bledsoe • Wilkinson • Carter • Johnson • Pace • P. Manning • Couch • Brown • Vick • Carr • Palmer • E. Manning • A. Smith • Williams • Russell |
Buffalo Bills first-round draft picks |
|---|
| Dennis • Pitts • Moses • Simpson • Cowlings • Hill • Patulski • Seymour • DeLamielleure • Gant • Ruud • Clark • Dokes • Miller • Cousineau • Butler • Ritcher • Moore • Tuttle • Hunter • Kelly • Bell • B. Smith • Burroughs • Harmon • Conlan • J. Williams • Jones • Fina • T. Smith • Burris • Brown • Moulds • A. Smith • Winfield • Flowers • Clements • M. Williams • McGahee • Evans • Losman • Whitner • McCargo • Lynch |
Categories: 1963 births | Living people | American Conference Pro Bowl players | American football defensive ends | Buffalo Bills players | College Football Hall of Fame | National Football League first overall draft picks | NFL 1980s All-Decade Team | NFL 1990s All-Decade Team | People from Norfolk, Virginia | Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame members | Virginia Tech Hokies football players | Washington Redskins players
