Very few players could be viewed as the total athletic package. Neil Smith may have been one of those rare exceptions, as scouts felt that with his skills, there was little he couldn’t do on the football field. Those scouts would be right.
Neil Smith was a multi-faceted Defensive End who was equally adept at stuffing the run as defending against the pass. His true gift may have been sacking the Quarterback as he led the NFL in that category in 1993. Smith was a six-time Pro Bowler, and though his skills were slightly diminished in the second half of his career, he helped the Denver Broncos win two consecutive Super Bowls in the late 90s.
Smith was paired in Kansas City with Derrick Thomas, who collectively made one of the fiercest defensive pairings in football. Thomas was posthumously elected to the Football Hall of Fame, but many of his achievements were aided by having Smith as a linemate.
