European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Silver anniversary smith7s turf becomes a Field of bad dreams Byberry Wilner. A sports writer Tampa Fla. A brute Smith does no to just cause nightmares. He dreams them too. Not the a Nightmare on Elm Street variety. Nothing so tame for the a Fly a Host defensive player no Smith is More creative than that. Hours after he led the Buffalo Bills past Denver 29-28 in september Smith dreamed he still was chasing John Elway. For a defensive end a Mobile smart quarterback such As Elway is fac equivalent of Freddie Krueger. In this his Bem season of a turbulent 6-year career that has taken him from no. I pick in the 1985 draft to a four game suspension for violating the a Fly a drug abuse policy to defensive player of the year Smith probably caught Elway forced a Fumble recovered it and ran for a game winning touchdown. A anything Bruce does does no to Surprise us a teammate and close Friend Darryl Talley says. A every Simc you think you be seen his Best he does something else even better.�?�, a a a a d. A a a a. Just ask Smith. A efm not trying to Knock anybody a he says. A there is some phenomenal Talent in the nil. Pm just saying in be watched a lot of film this season and nobody does what i do.�?�. A what he does is scare the daylights out of opponents. Smith had 19 sacks this season and might have broken the nil record of 22 if the Bills really needed him to. He had 101 double teamed sometimes triple teamed but he usually found a Way to make the play. A a a Quot a Quot he s an opposing coaches Nightmare a jets offensive line coach Larry Beightol says. A i done to really think there a a Way to Stop him. Lies at another level a which is exactly what Smith has been saying this year lie took his Campaign for nil most valuable player honors to the people through the Media. Before the Bills played the giants in new York in december Smith proclaim Nice himself the Best defensive player in football even better than Lawrence Taylor. He did so to the new York Media a sure Way to grab a headlines. A. . A a. A. A i think that Oyer the last h years he has been the most dominant player in the league a Smith said of Taylor who did not have nearly As Good a season As did buffaloes grim wreak or of havoc. A i just think now in be taken it a notch above that a i can to take anything away from Lawrence. Ive and cured him for so Many years. Lawrence grew up about 60 minutes from where 1 live Back in Norfolk. He a a Friend of mine and i respect him. A but right now it s time to give credit to the person that really deserves it.�?�. Smith has gotten plenty of credit this time. In add lion to defensive player honors he was the Only defender to get votes for map which was won by Joe Montana. Tic was voted to his fourth pro bowl and easily made reason Smith Felt he Hadnot gotten his due was that Buffalo is the of cd a smallest Market. A in Buffalo we Only have one newspaper and they re against us a he said during the season. A i done to think in be gotten the recognition i deserve. I done to think its fair but it keeps you hungry i might hunger for a Little privacy when the super bowl circus i amp Over. Then again a i can to picture Bruce Ever being us shy a quarterback Jim Kelly self Confidence could have been at an All time Low entering the season. The 1989 Campaign was a Downer for Buffalo despite winning the acc East. The bickering Bills went 9-7, their internal strife turned into Public spats and they were classic underachievers one year after falling to Cincinnati for the acc championship. A a a Quot a a a a a a. A then Smith underwent arthroscopic surgery last february and line coach Ted Cottrell with whom Smith was close left for a similar Job with the cardinals. The knee which had bothered him for nearly two seasons responded Well helped especially by a Stair machine that even his new Bride Carmen uses a to keep me and Smith found Chuck Dickerson the new line coach after three years As tight ends coach was As easy to work with As Cottrell. A a. Also several players reportedly at the source of the bickering were no longer Bills including veterans Joe Devlin and Ronnie Harmon. A a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a. A a Abc a nobody docs what i do says 19-sack Man Bruce Smith. But Smith rekindled the ghastly image of discontent in week 2, when the Bills were routed in Miami. With eight minutes remaining and Buffalo behind by 23 Points coach Marv Levy benched most of his offensive starters. Smith was incensed and let Levy know about it on the sideline. V / after the game he accused the coaches of giving up. Levy fined him $500 and brushed off the incident. A Bruce is a great competitor and he Felt he had something to say a Levy said. A the merely said it at the wrong time. It was an isolated thing. There Are no a bickering that a just something made up by the press a Smith agreed saying it would be forgotten by the teams next game a monday night affair against the jets. As he. Has been just about All season Smith was Correct. The Bills romped 30-7 and never looked Back. Smith is willing to look Back. He readily talks about the past but Only As inspiration for the future. Most annoying to him apparently is not his four game league suspension in 1988, but the Way the team fell Short in the last two playoffs. The loss to Cincinnati was the most galling because a we were one step away and you done to Ever know if you la get that Chance to take that step again a now he has that Chance. By George Willis. New Day Tampa a Lawrence Taylor and Jim Kelly were acting like the Best of friends monday night. Meeting by Accident at a local night spot the new York giants pro bowl the but fake Bills top rated quarterback were snickering like a couple of Hiah school kids. Asked to be Impromptu judges for an Amateur contest Between seven scantily Clad women Taylor and Kelly jostled with each other while trying to agree on a Winner. It was fun and games on the first night of super bowl week a far cry from what the mood will be sunday when the Bills and giants meet in super bowl xxv at Tampa stadium. While Taylor still likes to have fun off the Field he is a different football player from the one who wore the Blue no. 56 Jersey in super bowl xxi on Jan. 25, 1987, in Pasadena Calif different both in mind and body. If the 1988 Taylor was living on the Edge the new Taylor is soaking ail Edge. He returns to footballs ultimate game four years older a Little slower and relying More on his smarts than instinct. �?o1 is ill consider myself a Mercedes Quot Taylor 31, said tuesday. A but even a Mercedes gets a Little old.�?�. Tuesdays interview and photo session at Tampa stadium was an example of the changes in the 10-time pro bowl performer. A simple Straw hat was the Only accessory he wore other than his Jersey and game pants. He stood amid a group of about 50 reporters and calmly answered questions about himself the giants the Bills and the super Demeanour w As inviting and candid. Four years ago at the same session Taylor wore sunglasses Gold chains and was As pleasant As a cornered cobra "1 think he a mellowed a bit since �?T86,&Quot running Back Maurice Carthon said. A the knows we look to him in a leadership role now and hcs provided that. He s really come of age All the Way around. He knows w hat it takes to w in.�?�. In 1986. Taylor a only1 worry was himself. It was up to Guys like George Martin and Harry Carson to influence and Lead the other players. Taylor s Only concern was us he put it before super bowl xxi a hitting quarterbacks so hard that i he snot comes out of their when reminded of that statement yesterday. Taylor laughed. A i done to worry about that anymore a he said. A i just want to win. The thing is to do whatever you have to do to win. A a we re not Here for the hoopla. You could have this game at giants stadium with no Media or fans and it would mean the a a. Quot. A in 1986, Taylor was the a Fly a most valuable player setting a club record with 20/2 sacks. His play was a major reason Why the giants won their first super bowl. Yet he said the return trip this season is More significant to him. A this is a lot sweeter than last time a he said. A last time we clearly outplayed everybody Over the last 12 games. This year was a fight All the Way. We really had to stay with it mentally. Its Good to see that All the work paid off. �?o1 know it Means a lot to Bill Parcells. You can see it in his face. He wanted to be Here this year not next year or two years from now. He wanted to be Here this a for any other linebacker Tay Lor s season would have been worthy of Praise. But living up to his own legend Cap be difficult. His 10 v sacks were enough to earn an unprecedented 10th straight trip to the pro bowl yet there was constant talk of Taylor a declining skills. A i know my limitations and 1 know of time what to expect from myself a he said. A everyone expects me to play like in a 22, but in a not 22 anymore. In a just trying to do the Best that i can at this stage of my career. I May not be the greatest linebacker in the league anymore but in a still better than 90 percent of in a game that will have the nations attention and make for trivia years from now Taylor has no personal goals for this game. He does no to talk of being the games most valuable player like Bills defensive end Bruce Smith did tuesday. All Taylor wants is another ring. A last time we were at the super bowl we won it a he said. A but before the game i was just Happy to be Here and i wanted to play Well did no to realize that to be at the super Bow l Wasny to enough. Its winning that counts. I try to Tell the younger Guys a. Its Likely Taylor will fulfil the remaining two years on his contract and then retire without regrets or expectations. He is certain to be in the Hall of Fame. A i done to live my life in the past or for somebody to Pat me on the Back every time 1 come around a he said. A a that a not important to me. Its important that 1 enjoy my life and that i m Able to say in be made a Page 6 the stars and stripes super bowl special Friday january 25, 199t
