JOURNAL SPORTS
Virginia Tech’s Bruce Smith almost did not play in Shreveport’s annual bowl game until a judge’s ruling paved his path to the 1984 Independence Bowl, and his magnificent career since them makes him the No. 5-ranked player on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Smith had won the Outland Trophy, as the best lineman in college football, for his impact with the Hokies in the 1984 season but was ruled ineligible for the Independence Bowl by the NCAA which asserted Tech used illegal recruiting tactics when he was coming out of high school. The alleged violations included too many visits to the campus and a load of free firewood to his father. Smith took the matter to court.
Just days before the 1984 Independence Bowl against Air Force, Louisiana District Judge Eugene Bryson ruled the NCAA could not bar Smith from the game. Smith tallied just one tackle in the 23-7 loss to Air Force, but the future College and Pro Football Hall of Famer, one of just three men to own both of the game’s top honors and take part in the Independence Bowl, got to take the field in Shreveport for the final time with the Hokies.
Smith enjoyed a successful career in Blacksburg, Va., becoming one of Virginia Tech’s most decorated players in program history. He racked up 46 career sacks, including 22 in 1983. He also collected 71 tackles-for-loss (TFL) throughout his career. He was named first-team All-American in 1983 and consensus All-American in 1984. Virginia Tech retired his No. 78.
After his incredibly successful career with the Hokies, Smith was selected with the first pick in both the 1985 NFL Draft and the 1985 USFL Territorial Draft, signing with the Buffalo Bills. After just 6.5 sacks in his rookie season, Smith collected double-digit sacks in 13 of the next 15 seasons – one of those exceptions, the 1991 season, due to missing all but five games due to injury. He never led the league in sacks, but his consistency and longevity earned him the NFL’s record for career sacks (200.0).
In all, Smith played 19 seasons in the NFL, 15 for the Bills and four for the Washington Redskins. He played 279 games over his 19 seasons, racking up 1,224 combined tackles, 200 sacks, 43 forced fumbles and 15 fumble recoveries. He twice led the NFL in forced fumbles. He holds the NFL record for most seasons with more than one sack recorded (19) and most seasons with 10 or more sacks (13).
Smith was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year twice (1990 and 1996), first-team All-Pro eight times, second-team All-Pro three times and made 11 Pro Bowls. He was named to the NFL 1980s and 1990s All-Decade Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. A key member of the Bills teams that made it to four consecutive Super Bowls, Smith’s No. 78 was retired by the team.
Smith was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame in 2008, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
A local media panel worked with bowl officials to select the top 50 players in the half-century history of the I-Bowl, then ranked them in order of prominence and performance.
The next player on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, No. 4, will be released on Monday, November 16. Players will be unveiled individually every week, with No. 1 being announced on Monday, December 7.
Players previously announced on the Independence Bowl’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team (Name, position, school, year played in I-Bowl):
No. 6 – Daniel Jones (QB, Duke, 2018); No. 7 – Willie Roaf (OT, Louisiana Tech, 1990); No. 8 – Eddie Kennison (WR, LSU, 1995); No. 9 – Fernando Mendoza (QB, California, 2023);
No. 10 – Takeo Spikes (LB, Auburn, 1996); No. 11 – Brett Favre (QB, Southern Miss, 1988); No. 12 – Roy Williams (S, Oklahoma, 1999); No. 13 – Josh Heupel (QB, Oklahoma, 1999); No. 14 – Art Monk (WR, Syracuse, 1979); No. 15 – Von Miller (OLB, Texas A&M, 2009); No. 16 — Wesley Walls (DE/TE, Ole Miss, 1986); No. 17 – Joe Morris (RB, Syracuse, 1979); No. 18 – Ray Childress (DT, Texas A&M, 1981); No. 19 – Sidney Rice (WR, South Carolina, 2005);
No. 20 – Brad Smith (QB, Missouri, 2003 and 2005); No. 21 – Derrick Mason (WR, Michigan State, 1995); No. 22 – Garrison Hearst (RB, Georgia, 1991); No. 23 – Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech, 2023); No. 24 – Tim Krumrie (NG, Wisconsin, 1982); No. 25 – Muhsin Muhammad (WR, Michigan State, 1995); No. 26 – Ja’Mar Toombs (RB, Texas A&M, 2000); No. 27 – Otis Wilson (LB, Louisville, 1977); No. 28 – A.J. Green (WR, Georgia, 2009); No. 29 – Rocky Calmus (LB – Oklahoma, 1999); No. 30 – Flozell Adams (OT – Michigan State, 1995);
No. 31 – Willie Blade (DT, Mississippi State, 2000); No. 32 – Scott Thomas (S, Air Force, 1983 & 1984); No. 33 – Chad Hennings (DT, Air Force, 1984); No. 34 — Dameyune Craig (QB, Auburn, 1996); No. 35 – Geno Atkins (DT, Georgia, 2009); No. 36 – Rondell Mealey (RB, LSU, 1997); No. 37 – Rolando McClain (LB, Alabama, 2007); No. 38 – Weldon Brown (CB, Louisiana Tech, 2008); No. 39 – Andre Smith (OT, Alabama, 2006 & 2007; No. 40 – Tiki Barber (RB, Virginia, 1994);
No. 41 – Puka Nacua (WR, BYU, 2021); No. 42 – Gary Kubiak (QB; Texas A&M, 1981); No. 43 — Seneca Wallace (QB, Iowa State, 2001); No. 44 – Todd McClure (C, LSU, 1995 & 1997); No. 45 – Gary Anderson (K, Syracuse, 1979); No. 46 – Booger McFarland (LB, LSU, 1995 & 1997); No. 47 – Tremaine Edmunds (LB – Virginia Tech, 2015); No. 48 – Bill Musgrave (QB – Oregon, 1989); No. 49 – Larry Anderson (DB – Louisiana Tech, 1977); No. 50 – Lorenza Baker (LB – Louisiana Tech, 1990).