29 greatest NFL players to never win a Super Bowl
By Mike Dyce
3. Bruce Smith
While the Bills had Jim Kelly leading the offense during their four Super Bowl runs, Bruce Smith was leading the defense during the same tenure giving them an incredible focal point of both units.
Smith went to nine Pro Bowls, was named a First Team All-Pro on nine different occasions and twice named a Second Team All-Pro. Twice Smith was named the Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press and he was named to the All-Decade team in the 80s and 90s.
Smith’s sepcialty was getting to quarterbacks and he recorded 200 sacks over the course of his career, the only player to reach that number and the all-time sacks record holder. In 13 of Smith’s 19 seasons he recorded at least 10 sacks, marking his consistency.
Keep in mind that Smith was primarily used as a defensive end in a 3-4 defense, making his numbers even more impressive. Smith was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2009.
Like Kelly, Smith came heartbreakingly close to winning a Super Bowl, losing in four consecutive championship games. It is a shame that Smith was never able to win that ring, but the Bills ran into some dominant teams including the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the 90s twice.
Next: 2. Barry Sanders