Bruce Smith Biography

Bruce Smith is a former American football player who played as a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins. As a key player for the Bills, he helped lead the team to four consecutive Super Bowls as AFC champions in the early 1990s. A two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year and a four-time AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Smith holds the NFL career record for quarterback sacks, with 200, cementing his place as one of the most dominant defensive players in league history. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, Smith began his football journey at Booker T. Washington High School. After a standout all-state high school career, he attended Virginia Tech, where he became one of the most decorated players in the program’s history. Concluding his college career in 1984, Smith was selected as the first overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He played in the NFL until his retirement in 2003, and earned numerous accolades throughout his career, including induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. On the personal front, Smith is married and has one child.