The trial for former NFL star Bruce Smith, arrested last month on charges of drunken driving, was postponed this morning in Virginia Beach.
The new date is July 9. Smith, who turned 46 today, was pulled over early on May 15 on Interstate 264. A Beach police officer charged him with DUI and refusing to take a DUI test.
It was the third time in 12 years that he was charged with drunken driving. The first charge was dismissed. He was acquitted on the second.
Smith, of Virginia Beach, also was charged with driving 73 mph in a 55 mph zone, according to court records.
In January, Smith was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is set for induction in August.
Smith is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and was the top overall draft pick in the 1985 NFL draft.
He was a Pro Bowl defensive end who spent 15 seasons with the Buffalo Bills and helped lead the team to four straight AFC Championship titles. His final four seasons were with the Washington Redskins, and he retired in 2003 as the league’s all-time sack leader.
Smith is a graduate of Virginia Tech and Norfolk’s Booker T. Washington High School. City leaders said earlier this month that their plans to honor his induction into the Hall of Fame were on hold due to the pending charges.
