 Despite the uncomplimentary media coverage given him and his poor performance during the Independence Bowl, Bruce Smith was selected with the first overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft. Smith was subsequently signed to a $ 2.6 million contract by the Buffalo Bills. During the 1985 college football season, Virginia Tech struggled to rebuild from losing 20 starters (10 on offense, 10 on defense) from the 1984 team, and finished with a 6 – 5 record. Air Force, meanwhile, performed extremely well, finishing with an 11 – 1 record, including a bowl-game win over the Texas Longhorns. Fisher DeBerry remained the coach of Air Force for another 22 years, eventually retiring after the conclusion of the 2006 season.
