Bruce Smith’s Halloween decor puts his ‘terrifying’ NFL career on display

VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — Bruce Smith established himself as one of the National Football League’s most terrifying defenders over a 19-year career.

How fitting, as the calendar nears Halloween, the Pro Football Hall of Fame-r has decided to put that terrifying career on display. In front of his home are 76 fake tombstones, all representing the 76 quarterbacks he sent to the turf.

“Getting to the quarterback was my specialty,” said Smith, who is still the NFL’s all-time sacks leader.

The idea came about, as many good ideas do, on the golf course. One of Smith’s good friends noticed on social media some Halloween decorations put out by one of the NFL’s top current pass rushers.

Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns leads the NFL with seven quarterback sacks this season, and decided to show off his prowess with seven tombstones in his front yard.

“We showed Bruce, and we were like, ‘Man, we should do something like this,'” said Paul Holley, Smith’s golfing buddy.

So, Smith and Holley made the request to Sam Clayman, a local artist based in Virginia Beach.

“It took a full two weekends of probably 16-hour days,” said Clayman, who used to watch Smith when he dawned the Burgandy and Gold with the Washington Football Team (formerly known as the Redskins).

All in the Halloween and holiday spirit, Smith wanted to show Garrett “what a real graveyard looks like.”