GOAT Index

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Bruce Smith: the case for the GOAT

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    Bruce Smith: the case for the GOAT

    DE · Bills · Born 18 June 1963, Norfolk, Virginia, USA · Career 1985–2003

    Defensive end who spent 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and four with Washington, the most prolific pass rusher in NFL history.

    Career highlights

    Why Bruce Smith could be the GOAT

    Smith is the NFL's all-time sack leader and kept producing over 19 seasons. He was the defensive engine of Buffalo's four straight Super Bowl teams. If the GOAT among defenders should be the one who got to the quarterback most, it is Smith.

    What fans say

    Bruce Smith is #25 of 30 in the fan ranking, with a 1–5 head-to-head record from 74 NFL votes. See the full NFL GOAT ranking

    Bruce Smith head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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