BRUUUUUCE!

ORCHARD PARK — No one had as many sacks as Bruce Smith, and no one will ever wear his No. 78 jersey with the Buffalo Bills again.

The Bills announced Wednesday that they will be retiring Smith’s number at halftime during the team’s prime-time homeopener against the New York Jets on Sept. 15.

“I was a little numb. I was in somewhat of I would say, disbelief,” Smith said during a conference call. “This will be a celebraelebration for the fans, the Buffalolo Bills organization and the NFL.”

Hall of Fame quarteruarterbackack Jim K el l y ’s No.o. 12 is the e only other ther jersey retired by the Bills.

Selected by Buffalo with th the No. 1 pick in the 1985 draft t out of Virginia Tech, Smith became me the NFL’s premier pass-rusher er during a 19-year career, which ended in Washington in 2003. He e holds the league record with 200 career sacks, with 171 of them coming oming during his 15 seasons in Buffalo. ffalo.

Smith was the NFL’s defensive fensive player of the year in 1990 and nd ‘96, and inducted into the Pro Football ootball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Having his number retired red ranks among Smith’s top p highlights.

“I didn’t know exactly y what I was getting into andnd the expectations, but I quickly learned.” Smith said. “I’ve got to tell you, it was one of the most ful fulfilling experiences that God could’ve placed in front of me. I’m truly grateful and thankful.”

With Kelly and fellow Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed playing key roles on offense, Smith was the focal point on the Bills defense. Together, the foursome was part of a Marv Levy-coached team that made a nd lost fou r consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s.

Bills President Russ Brandon said the case could be made of Smith being regarded as the NFL NFL’s s greatest player. He add added that the plan to retire Smith’s number was on his to-do list, and prompted by owners Terry and Kim Pegula, who purchased the franchise from the estate of late Hall of Fame owner Ralph Wilson in 2014. Association consider whether to challenge a decision to reinstate the discipline for Brady’s role in using footballs that were improperly inflated.

The woman does not appear to have any connection to Brady or legal standing in the case.

The players union and Brady have argued that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell overreached in imposing the suspension. Brady has until May 23 to ask for either a rehearing with the same threejudge panel that reinstated his suspension or seek a new hearing in front of the entire circuit.