American professional football player, who helped lead the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) to the Super Bowl four consecutive times (1990-1993). Bruce Bernard Smith was born in Norfolk, Virginia, and educated at Virginia Tech University, where in 1984 he won the Outland Trophy as the nation's top collegiate lineman. The Bills then selected Smith as the first pick in the 1985 NFL draft. Playing the defensive-end position, he became one of the leading defensive players in the NFL, consistently ranking among league leaders in sacks (tackles of the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage).
In 1987 Smith was named the NFL's defensive lineman of the year. By the 1990 season, during which he recorded 19 sacks and 101 tackles, he was considered by many to be the best defensive player in the NFL. His dominant play was a major factor in the Bills' success during the early 1990s, when the team won the American Football Conference (AFC) championship four consecutive times (1990-1993). Each year, however, the team subsequently lost the Super Bowl. Smith also played in numerous Pro Bowl games during his career and was honored several times as the AFC's defensive player of the year.