Best NFL Players of All Time: Bruce Smith. Ranking the Top Players in History. Place a bet on an NFL football game now.

Best NFL Players of All Time: Bruce Smith

After Bruce Smith’s career with the Washington Redskins ended in 2003, he had one destination in mind: the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Given that Smith concluded his career with 200 sacks, ranking first on the official list of all-time sack leaders, it was an obvious choice.

However, with Smith, the figures don’t tell the whole story. Yes, he would frequently go to the quarterback. However, he forced opposing offensive coordinators to cover him on every play during the week, and they were still unable to stop him—or even come close. By doing this, Smith’s skill set provided Buffalo Bills colleagues Darryl Talley and Cornelius Bennett with additional pass rush opportunities in the Bills defense. He was almost the exact replica of Reggie White, the dominant stud on a defensive squad full of playmakers.

However, it nearly didn’t work out for the Virginia Tech product who was selected first overall in the 1985 NFL draft because Smith spent the most of his first two seasons with the Bills under the tutelage of inexperienced head coach Hank Bullough. Smith was not the explosive 285-pound player that spent most of his career rushing the passer from his right defensive end position at that time. His physique had more resemblance to that of Baby Huey, the plump, ill-fitting cartoon duck. It was not the Buffalo Bills but rather the Chicago Bears that had a historic season in 1985. William “The Refrigerator” Perry, a rotund rookie of the Bears, saw spot service on Buddy Ryan’s defensive line and contributed as a devastating power back in the offense. Bullough stated that he believed “Smith could do for us what Perry did for the Bears” in support of his decision to let Smith take the same path.

The fact that Bullough was replaced by Marv Levy nine games into the 1986 season by owner Ralph Wilson is fortunate for Smith, the Bills, and their supporters. Under Levy’s direction, the squad would recover as he gave Jim Kelly control of the offense and centered the defense on Smith. Smith took the promotion seriously, got himself into incredible shape, and developed into the most creative pass rusher the league had ever seen. As a result, the move would enable the Bills to emerge as the AFC’s top team.

Smith possessed a wide range of skills and quick reflexes. His ability to combine the two and completely destroy opposition tackles was what distinguished him as an artist. Smith said, “I knew there were tackles out there who could counter moves and others who could contend with speed, but if I could mix the two that would make things really tough.” “There was a lot of work involved, but my coaches and teammates believed in me, so it was all worth it.”

In the early 1990s, the Bills would go on to make it to the Super Bowl four times in a row, but they would infamously lose each time. When they played the New York Giants in Tampa, Florida for Super Bowl XXV, they had their best team and best opportunity. The Bills were a high-scoring offensive powerhouse that season, having just defeated the Los Angeles Raiders 51-3 in the AFC Championship Game. When Smith turned the corner and sacked Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the end zone for a safety in the second quarter, it was one of the pivotal plays of the Super Bowl.

The most impressive part of the play was how Hostetler managed to hold onto the ball while Smith used his right arm to administer a karate chop exactly as the Giants quarterback was getting the ball into passing position. It would have been easy for Hostetler to drop the ball, allowing Smith or one of his teammates to fall on it and score a touchdown rather than a safety.

Levy remarked, “That’s football, but even so, I was surprised that Hostetler did not drop the ball.” Bruce’s arrival was so swift, intense, and powerful that it was truly an incredible play on his part to avoid fumbling the ball and giving us a touchdown. I’m sure Bruce was stunned, and I’m assuming Hostetler was also somewhat taken aback by the fact that he managed to hold onto the ball.

Probably the best season of Smith’s career was 1990. Following his career-high 19 sacks, Smith was double-teamed virtually every play for the following seven seasons. His strength, quickness, and ability rendered that move essentially useless. “The double-team was welcomed,” Smith remarked. “Guys who are incapable of playing are not double-teamed.” I had to play even harder since it was a show of respect. I knew that double-team was coming, so I was determined to get past it before the second guy entered. I was gone in an instant, all it took was for the lineman to turn his head. Usually, because I had defeated the first person so rapidly, the second guy was reaching for me.

Smith, on the other hand, thinks he was the greatest defensive end in game history. He is aware that both White and Deacon Jones have large followings, but he will not back down. He clarified, “I’m not saying that just because I lead the NFL in sack totals, I’m the greatest defensive end pass rusher to ever play the game. I say it because of the level of difficulty I had to overcome to accomplish that achievement.”

Smith claimed that his job was harder than any other defensive lineman’s since he spent the most of his career playing in a 3–4 defense and carrying a lot of responsibility against the run. Smith was so determined to stop the run that it took a long time to stop him. Running backs typically cut inside the defensive end to gain yards, while offensive tackles typically block quick defensive ends to the outside. Unless the tackle was able to maintain the block throughout the play, Smith was able to catch and bring down the running back thanks to his quickness.

Smith remarked, “I don’t remember that happening very often.” Smith clarified, “I could spin off the block and I could toss the tackle aside.” “It was nearly hard to block me for longer than the initial surge.”

Smith was a constant in the Bills locker room, direct and unambiguous. Levy observed, “There wasn’t much modesty about his playing.” “He would claim to be the greatest. But the fact that it was more than simply rhetoric set him apart. Almost every week, he would go out and demonstrate it. He was a truly unique talent, and in my opinion, the greatest defensive end in game history.

Smith has a lot going for him—200 sacks, 43 forced fumbles, 15 fumble recoveries, and 1,078 tackles.

Best NFL Players of All Time: Bruce Smith Stats

Regular Season

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	No.	G	GS	Int	Yds	Lng	PD	FF	Fmb	FR	Yds	TD	Sk	Comb	Solo	Ast	TFL	Sfty	AV
1985	22	BUF	RDE	78	16	13						0	4	0	0	6.5	48					7
1986	23	BUF	RDE	78	16	15					3	0	0	0	0	15	63					7
1987*+	24	BUF	RDE	78	12	12					3	0	2	15	1	12	78					17
1988*+	25	BUF	RDE	78	12	12					3	0	0	0	0	11	56				1	15
1989*	26	BUF	RDE	78	16	16						0	0	0	0	13	88					15
1990*+	27	BUF	RDE	78	16	16					4	0	0	0	0	19	101					17
1991	28	BUF	RDE	78	5	5						0	0	0	0	1.5	18					2
1992*	29	BUF	RDE	78	15	15					3	0	0	0	0	14	89					14
1993*+	30	BUF	RDE	78	16	16	1	0	0		3	0	1	0	0	14	108					18
1994*+	31	BUF	RDE	78	15	15	1	0	0		5	0	2	0	0	10	81	57	24			14
1995*+	32	BUF	RDE	78	15	15					1	0	1	0	0	10.5	74	52	22			17
1996*+	33	BUF	RDE	78	16	16					5	0	1	0	0	13.5	90	69	21			21
1997*+	34	BUF	RDE	78	16	16					0	0	0	0	0	14	65	49	16			15
1998*	35	BUF	RDE	78	15	15					2	0	2	18	0	10	50	35	15			12
1999	36	BUF	RDE	78	16	16	0	0	0	2	3	0	1	0	0	7	45	31	14	5		10
2000	37	WAS	RDE	78	16	16	0	0	0	2	5	0	0	0	0	10	57	48	9	13	1	9
2001	38	WAS	RDE	78	14	14	0	0	0	2	3	0	1	0	0	5	42	31	11	7		7
2002	39	WAS	RDE	78	16	16	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	9	49	37	12	11		8
2003	40	WAS	LDE	78	16	8					0	0	0	0	0	5	22	17	5	5		4
Career					279	267	2	0	0	7	43	0	15	33	1	200	1224	426	149	41	2	229
15 yrs		BUF			217	213	2	0	0	2	35	0	14	33	1	171	1054	293	112	5	1	201
4 yrs		WAS			62	54	0	0	0	5	8	0	1	0	0	29	170	133	37	36	1	28

Playoffs

Year	Age	Tm	Pos	G	GS	Sk	Comb	Solo	Ast	TFL	QBHits	Sfty
1988*+	25	BUF	RDE	2	2	3
1989*	26	BUF	RDE	1	1	0.5
1990*+	27	BUF	RDE	3	3	1						1
1991	28	BUF	RDE	3	3	1
1992*	29	BUF	RDE	4	4	3.5
1993*+	30	BUF	RDE	3	3	3
1995*+	32	BUF	RDE	1	1	0	1	1	0
1996*+	33	BUF	RDE	1	1	0	3	3	0
1998*	35	BUF	RDE	1	1	0	4	4	0
1999	36	BUF	RDE	1	1	2.5	6	5	1	2
Career				20	20	14.5	14	13	1	2

 

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