Smith had a rare combination of strength, quickness and raw talent that played very nicely into his success on the defensive line. Injury forced Bruce Smith to miss most of his freshman season but as a sophomore Smith had eight sacks and in his junior year he became a first team All-America selection adding 22 sacks to his resume. He capped off his senior year with 16 more QB take downs behind the line.. Bruce was honored as a consensus All-America selection and won the Outland Trophy. Over his career, his 46 sacks and 71 tackles for loss resulted in an incredible total of 504 yards lost.

The College Football Hall of Fame proudly placed a display in honor of Bruce Smith into their legendary museum in 2006. In the 1985 NFL draft he was the first player taken overall by the Buffalo Bills. He was named the defensive Rookie of the Year. When his 19-year pro career ended he sat on top of the game's all-time sack list with 200. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 11 times.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame shares how the Bills teams that won six AFC Eastern Division championships and four AFC titles, many observers feel that 1990 was Smith’s finest season. That year he recorded 19 quarterback sacks and his dominant play frequently changed the complexion of the game. Smith’s 13 seasons with 10 or more sacks is also an NFL record.. Bruce Smith was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.