Former Bills DE Bruce Smith (78) - photo courtesy USA TODAY Sports
The Buffalo Bills possessed an edge rusher that no other team during his time period could compare to. He had the ability to put his hand in the dirt and change a game in an instant.
Of course, you can’t mention him without mentioning his impact on helping his team reach four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s.
Naturally, we are talking about Bruce Smith. The Hall of Famer’s impact as a pass rusher is helping him mentor current Bills’ defensive end Greg Rousseau.
How Bruce Smith Came To Be
Smith grew up in the suburbs just outside of Norfolk, Virginia.
He attended Booker T. Washington High School, where he attended classes five days a week and played Friday Night football on the gridiron.
The multi-talented athlete not only outshined in football but also played in many other sports.
“In high school, he used to play both ways and nobody could stop him,” childhood friend Andre Smith said. “In baseball, he could hit the ball. In basketball, it was total domination. You did not dare come in the middle. He was just so big – so demanding. And he wouldn’t give up ground.”
Before Smith graduated, he contributed to his school’s basketball team. They won a state title while Smith earned an All-American title playing football.
Becoming A Hokie
Smith earned state recognition, where he finished his career, earning all-Commonwealth of Virginia honors.
He then chose to attend college in his home state and play Division I ACC ball at Virginia Tech.
While there, the 6′ 4″, 290 lb. force became a national figure in college football. He was a two-time All-American, turning into a menace at sacking the quarterback.
In addition, the Hokies’ run defense was second in the country, holding ball carriers to 71.5 yards per game.
The native Virginian never stopped sacking quarterbacks, with 46 career sacks and 69 tackles on running backs.
“No ifs, ands, or buts about it,” Coach Bill Dooley said after the announcement. “I’ve said that all along that Bruce is the best college lineman I’ve ever coached and the best I’ve ever seen in 18 years as a head coach.”
Declaring For The 1985 NFL Draft
At the end of the 1984 NCAA Division I football season, Smith declared for the 1985 NFL draft.
The Buffalo Bills, at the time, held the number one overall pick. They saw something in Smith that no other team thought they would get in an edge rusher like him.
Smith was very quick and explosive coming off the edge. He made life miserable for opposing QBs when he arrived in the backfield.
Buffalo saw this when they scouted him and were confident enough to take Smith with the number one overall pick.
However, Smith didn’t know it at the time, but it ended up being a decision both he and the Bills brass were very happy with.
As a result, it paid off as a long-term investment and a decade of glory for the franchise.
Above all, the team made it to four straight Super Bowls, and Smith was inducted into the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Four Straight Super Bowls
Smith became part of Buffalo Bills history when he and the Bills of the 1990s reached an NFL record four straight Super Bowls.
They had an offense that ran like no other.
Their defense could give the offense the ball back as fast as they would score later in their drives.
In other words, these teams battle-tested each game and were confident.
No matter what happened, they always believed they could beat any team “anytime, anywhere.”
Above all, that’s to Smith’s testament, who was a big-hearted character, a competitor, and a high motor for sacking the quarterback.
Additionally, his passion was just as important. He would constantly fire up the Bills’ crowd on third down for a stop or hyping everyone up on the sidelines, whoever would listen to him.
Therefore, with the Bills losing four straight Super Bowls, Smith felt that the team gained more of an understanding from their losses than if they had beaten their opponents.
And he won’t let that get him down.
“Yes, I lost four Super Bowls, but they don’t define you,” he explained. “I am defined by my character, my integrity, my faith in God, the good things I have done.”
How Bruce Smith Changed The Edge Rushing Position
Back in Smith’s playing days, the edge rushing position was seen as a dime-dozen position.
But then, when Smith arrived, he transformed the position into the larger-than-life, big-play sack machines you saw later in the 90s and even now.
Guys like Reggie White, who spent his successful short life looking over at the opposing quarterbacks and just putting them on their backs.
Or even players like today’s Nick Bosa and Rousseau, who stick their hands in the dirt to get after the quarterback and stop the run, which Smith was dominant at.
Because of Smith’s impact on such a flashy position, the edge rushers are now the popular players drafted in the first round or resigned to a second contract and become superstars.
Rousseau of the Buffalo Bills has admired Smith since he was selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft.
To go even further, Smith called Rousseau when he got drafted to train with him as he saw a lot in how he played the game in Rousseau.
Family
While playing for the Bills in 1990, Smith married his current wife, Carmen. The couple has a 30-year-old son named Alston.
The couple lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Now a businessperson, Smith works with former teammate and fellow Bills Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas.
They are in a venture together called Legends Energy Group.
Smith still gives back to the Western New York community by attending multiple Bills home games. When in the area, he also often guest appears on Bills Radio.
Back in Virginia Beach, the former defensive end worked as a hotel designer.
He redeveloped a hotel he bought and transformed it into Smith’s Landing, an apartment and restaurant complex.
Above all, Smith’s legacy and kind heart will always stand the test of time.
As the next generation of Bills’ fans learn about who Bruce Smith was and why he means so much more than just a “Hall of Fame” defensive end.
