Bruce Smith says he has a ton of respect for Carl Nassib for coming out -- but the Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports gay players in the NFL is nothing new.
"We had a gay player in our locker room," Smith says ... "I think it was the mid to late 90s and I think we might have had 2 but that wasn't what we were focused on."
Remember, Smith's Bills were legendary in the '90s ... making the playoffs 8 times (including 4 Super Bowl appearances).
But, Smith says he never cared about anyone's sexual orientation -- as long as that player could ball out on the field.