Bruce Bernard Smith, born on 18 June 1963, in Norfolk, Virginia USA, to parents George and Annie Smith, is a former American Football player, best known as a defensive end for the Buffalo Bills and the Washington Redskins in the National Football League(NFL).
So just how wealthy is Bruce Smith? According to sources, Smith’s net worth reaches $12 million, as of mid-2016. His wealth has been earned during his football career from 1985-2003, as well as through his real estate business.
Bruce Smith Net Worth $12 Million
Smith was raised in a working-class family, the youngest of three siblings. He attended Norfolk’s Booker T. Washington High School, joining the school junior varsity team in his sophomore year. After an all-state high school career, Smith enrolled in Virginia Tech in 1981, where he joined the Hokies football team, becoming the most honored player in the team’s history. Heralded as “The Sack Man”, Smith set the existing record for the highest number of sacks, and also all-time leader records with career totals of 46 sacks and 71 tackles for loss. Aside from being named First-team All-America as junior and senior, Smith received the prestigious Outland Trophy, given to the nation’s top lineman. He was voted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
In 1985 Smith was chosen by the Buffalo Bills as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. During his 15 seasons with the Bills, he achieved extraordinary results, becoming one of the most dominant defensive ends in NFL history. As the team’s all-time sack-leader, he set a record with 171 sacks, a standard that is unlikely to ever be achieved by another Bill player. He was a two-time AP Defensive Player of the Year, two time First-team All-Pro, two time NEA Defensive Player of the Year, three time PFWA Defensive Player of the Year, and a four time UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year, who helped to lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowl appearances. He was voted to 11 Pro Bowls, nine NFL All-Pro Teams and two NFL All-Decade Teams. In 1999 the Bills released Smith after he refused to take a pay cut in an emergency salary cap maneuver, but his extraordinary success with the Bills enabled him to amass a significant net worth.
In 2000 the player signed with the Washington Redskins as a free agent, remaining with the team for four seasons. In his first year with the Redskins, he marked his 13th season with 10 or more sacks, setting the NFL record. In 2003 he set the definitive record with 200 accumulated sacks, becoming the NFL’s all-time sack leader. He was released by the Redskins in 2004.
The same year Smith retired from his professional football career, he founded Bruce Smith Enterprises in Virginia Beach, VA, a commercial real estate company that has since developed a number of successful projects, such as the Hilton Garden Inn and the Smith’s Landing apartment complex in Blacksburg, VA.
In partnership with his former Bills teammate Thurman Thomas, Smith has also worked on promoting energy programs across North America. All have contributed to his wealth.
In 2009 he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 2015 Smith was featured in the 30 for 30 documentary “Four Falls of Buffalo”, portraying the team’s four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
When it comes to his personal life, Smith has been married to Carmen Lathan since 1990. The couple has one child together and resides in Virginia Beach. He is a devoted Baptist, a member of Queen Street Baptist Church in Norfolk. However, he is known for being involved in controversies; reportedly, he has been arrested with DUI charges three times in his past.
