Bills Reportedly Hired Detectives to Watch and Follow Bruce Smith

The Buffalo Bills hired undercover detectives to follow all-pro defensive end Bruce Smith for 3 weeks last November because of concerns about Smith’s association with a suspected drug dealer, according to a published report.

The Buffalo News, citing police sources, reported Tuesday that the team had off-duty detectives follow Smith and watch his home.

Smith was suspended for the first 4 games of the 1988 season for a violation of the National Football League’s substance-abuse policy.

The detectives were part of the town of Hamburg Police Department, which earlier had conducted its own investigation into Smith’s activities, the newspaper said. The police investigation began after an informant told police the Bill star was involved with a known cocaine dealer.

Except for some traffic violations, the detectives observed no illegal activity, the newspaper said.

Buffalo General Manager Bill Polian denied the report. Polian, however, said that the team had conducted an investigation into allegations about a West Seneca (N.Y.) bar, where some of the players socialized.

He said that investigation was only to determine whether “unsavory people” frequenting the bar had an impact on the players. The investigation revealed nothing, he said.

Joe Browne, the NFL’s director of communications, said that the league had not been involved in any surveillance of Smith.