New York (AFP) - Bruce Smith, a Hall of Fame defensive end for the Buffalo Bills, will have his jersey number retired at the NFL club's 2016 home opener, the team announced Wednesday.
No player has worn Smith's number, 78, since his final season with Buffalo in 1999 and it will be set aside permanently during a half-time ceremony when the Bills play host to the New York Jets on September 15.
Smith, 52, will join quarterback Jim Kelly as the only players in Bills history to have their numbers retired, with Kelly's number 12 having been so honored in 2001.