Bruce SmithWashington Redskins · #78
Bruce Smith holds the NFL record with 200.0 career sacks and added 45 forced fumbles over 19 seasons. A two-time Defensive Player of the Year, he reached four straight Super Bowls with Buffalo and was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2009.
Bruce Smith — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades are percentiles vs every active player at his position.
Where Bruce Smith stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
Bruce Smith — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees Bruce Smith
Projection = recency-weighted per-season production, nudged along a position aging curve, banded by his year-to-year volatility. No black box — every number shows its work.
Bruce Smith career stats, season by season
| Season | G | Tkl | Sack | FF | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 16 | 48 | 6.5 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1986 | 16 | 63 | 15.0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1987 | 12 | 78 | 12.0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1988 | 12 | 56 | 11.0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1989 | 16 | 88 | 13.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1990 DPOY | 16 | 101 | 19.0 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1991 | 5 | 18 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 | 15 | 89 | 14.0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 16 | 108 | 14.0 | 4 | 1 | |
| 1994 | 15 | 81 | 10.0 | 5 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 15 | 74 | 10.5 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1996 DPOY | 16 | 90 | 13.5 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 16 | 65 | 14.0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 15 | 50 | 10.0 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1999 | 16 | 45 | 7.0 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 2000 | 16 | 57 | 10.0 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2001 | 14 | 42 | 5.0 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2002 | 16 | 49 | 9.0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | 16 | 22 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 279 | 1,224 | 200.0 | 45 | 7 | 2 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the Washington Redskins built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of Bruce Smith
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
The NFL's all-time sack leader with 200.0, a Buffalo Bills great who reached four straight Super Bowls.
Turning pro
Drafted 1985, Round 1 (#1 overall) as a Defensive End.
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Selected 1st overall by Buffalo in 1985
Chapter
Anchored four straight Super Bowl runs
Chapter
Won two Defensive Player of the Year awards
Off the court
- Height
- 6'4"
- Weight
- 262 lb
- Draft
- 1985, Round 1 (#1 overall)
- Born
- Norfolk, Virginia
- Age
- 63
- Jersey
- #78
Smith remained a prominent figure in the Buffalo and Virginia communities after retiring, involved in business and charitable ventures. He is frequently celebrated as one of the greatest players never to win a championship, a distinction he wears alongside his enduring sack record.
A driven, technically obsessive craftsman who paired elite conditioning with a relentless will to be the best pass rusher alive.
Bruce Smith — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about Bruce Smith, answered.
