Sports

Actions

Bills to retire Bruce Smith’s No. 78 Thursday

Posted at 5:53 PM, Sep 14, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-14 21:00:46-04
New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde scrambles away from Bruce Smith. (Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde scrambles away from Bruce Smith. (Photo: Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Thursday, the Buffalo Bills will retire the jersey of Norfolk native Bruce Smith. His number 78 will be just the second number retired in franchise history (Jim Kelly, 2001).

The Booker T. Washington High School alumnus, who starred at Virginia Tech, was the number one pick in the 1985 NFL draft. In 19 NFL seasons, Smith was selected to the Pro Bowl 11-times and named First Team All-Pro on eight occasions.

The NFL’s all-time sack leader was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. You can watch the Jets vs. Bills game live on News 3 Thursday night at 8:25 p.m.