Buffalo Bills
Encyclopedia
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football
team based in Buffalo
, New York
. They are currently members of the East Division
of the American Football Conference
(AFC) in the National Football League
(NFL). They play their home games in the suburb of Orchard Park
, and since the 2008 NFL season
through the 2012 NFL season, play one home game per season and three pre-season games in Toronto
as part of the 5-year Bills Toronto Series
. The Bills began competitive play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League
and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
The Bills won two consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965, but the club has not won a league championship since then. Buffalo is also the only team to win four consecutive American Football Conference Championships
, the only team in either conference to play in four consecutive Super Bowl
games, and the only team ever to lose four consecutive Super Bowl
s.
The Bills were named as the result of the winning entry in a local contest by Michael Doucas, which named the team after the AAFC Buffalo Bills
, a previous football franchise from the All-America Football Conference
that merged with the Cleveland Browns
in 1950. That team was named after the historic Buffalo Bill
. The Bills' cheerleaders are known as the Buffalo Jills
. The official mascot is Billy Buffalo
; Cody is not used in the team's iconography at all.
They are the only New York NFL team to play their home games within New York
state proper. Both the New York Giants
and the New York Jets
play in East Rutherford, New Jersey
, nine miles from their headquarters in New York City
. With the inception of the 5-year Bills Toronto Series deal in 2008, that is good through 2012, they are the only NFL team to play a home game in Canada
. The Bills conduct summer training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, New York
, an eastern suburb of Rochester
.
In 1962, the standing red bison was designated as the logo and took its place on a white helmet. In 1962, the team's colors also changed to red, white, and blue. The team switched to blue jerseys with red and white stripes on the shoulders. the helmets were white with a red center stripe. By 1965, red and blue center stripes were put on the helmets.
The Bills introduced blue pants worn with the white jerseys in 1973, the last year of the standing buffalo helmet. The blue pants remained through 1985. The face mask on the helmet was blue from 1974 through 1986 before changing to white.
In 1974, the standing bison logo was replaced by a blue charging one with a red slanting stripe streaming from its horn. In 1984, the helmet's background color was changed from white to red, primarily to help Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson
distinguish them more readily from three of their division rivals at that time, the Indianapolis Colts
, the Miami Dolphins
, and the New England Patriots
, who all also wore white helmets at that point. Ferguson said that "Everyone we played had white helmets at that time. Our new head coach Kay Stephenson just wanted to get more of a contrast on the field that may help spot a receiver down the field." (The Patriots now use a silver helmet, the Colts have since been realigned to the AFC South
, and the New York Jets
, who switched to green helmets after the 1978 season
, have since switched back to white helmets.)
In 2002, under the direction of general manager Tom Donahoe
, the Bills' uniforms went through radical changes. A darker shade of blue was introduced as the main jersey color, and nickel gray was introduced as an accent color. Both the blue and white jerseys featured red side panels. The white jerseys included a dark blue shoulder yoke and royal blue numbers. The helmet remained primarily red with one navy blue, two nickel, two royal blue, two white stripes, and white face mask. A new logo, a stylized B consisting of two bullets and a more detailed buffalo head on top, was proposed and had been released (it can be seen on a few baseball caps that were released for sale), but fan backlash led to the team retaining the running bison logo. The helmet logo adopted in 1974—a charging royal blue bison, with a red streak, white horn and eyeball—remained unchanged.
In 2005, the Bills revived the standing bison helmet and uniform of the mid-1960s as a throwback uniform.
The Bills usually wore the all-blue combination at home and the all-white combination on the road when not wearing the throwback uniforms. They stopped wearing blue-on-white after 2006, while the white-on-blue was not worn after 2007.
For the 2011 season, the Bills unveiled a new uniform design, an updated rendition of the 1975–83 design. This change includes a return to the white helmets with "charging buffalo" logo, and a return to royal blue instead of navy.
Buffalo sporadically wore white at home in the 1980s, but stopped doing so before their Super Bowl years. On November 6, 2011 against the New York Jets, the Bills wore white at home for the first time since 1986.
Unofficially retired
Reduced circulation
Since the earliest days of the team, the number 31 was not supposed to be issued to any other player. The Bills had stationery and various other team merchandise showing a running player wearing that number, and it was not supposed to represent any specific person, but the 'spirit of the team.' The tradition was broken in 1969 when reserve running back Preston Ridlehuber
was issued number 31 for one game while his normal number 36 jersey was repaired by equipment manager Tony Marchitte. The number 31 was not issued again until 1990 when first round draft choice James (J.D.) Williams wore it for his first two seasons. The number has since been released for use by any player and is currently being worn by starting free safety Jairus Byrd
. Byrd had used number 32 in college, but switched to 31 because the team does not issue Simpson's former number 32.
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
1 In addition to their own pick (11th overall), the Bills received the 28th overall pick, as well as a fourth-round pick (121st overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft
and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
, from the Philadelphia Eagles
in a trade for OT Jason Peters
is currently flagshipped at WGRF
FM 96.9 FM, and WEDG
FM 103.3. WSPQ AM 1330 is the AM home of the team. John Murphy
is the team's current play-by-play announcer; he was a color commentator
alongside, and eventually succeeded, longtime voice Van Miller
after Miller's retirement at the end of the 2003 NFL season
. Mark Kelso
serves as the color analyst. The Bills radio network has over twenty affiliates in upstate New York
and one affiliate, CJCL 590AM (The Fan) in Toronto
.
Buffalo is one of eight teams that is contracted with Compass Media Networks
to syndicate selected games nationwide.
During the preseason, most games are televised on Buffalo's ABC
affiliate, WKBW-TV
channel 7, with several other affiliates in western New York
. These games are simulcast on sister stations WTVH
in Syracuse, WICU
in Erie, WHAM-TV
in Rochester, and beginning in 2008, CITY-TV
in Toronto. Ray Bentley
, a former Bills linebacker and current AFL on ESPN
analyst, does play by play, while CBS analyst and former Bills special teams player Steve Tasker
does color commentary on these games. WHAM-TV sports anchor Mike Catalana
is the sideline reporter. Since 2008, preseason games have been broadcast in high definition
.
In the event that regular season (or preseason) games are broadcast by a cable outlet (ESPN
or NFL Network
), WKBW-TV carries the ESPN or NFL Network feed.
THE BILLS MAKE ME WANNA SHOUT is a song played throughout home bills game as a touchdown is scored in favor of the bills.
, an eight-foot tall, anthropomorphic blue American bison
who wears the jersey number BB.
The Bills' cheerleaders are known as the Buffalo Jills
. The Jills are not owned by the Bills, but instead are a separate organization funded primarily by the Buffalo Bills Radio Network
, a subsidiary of Cumulus Media
.
The Attica High School Marching Band is the official marching band
of the Buffalo Bills. Along with the Baltimore Ravens
and the Washington Redskins
, the Bills are one of only three teams in the NFL to designate an official marching band. The Marching Band performs yearly pregame.
's mascot, the Bison, is designed identically to the Buffalo Bills' "charging buffalo" logo.
In the 1996 X-Files
episode "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man
", the titular character, a member of a shadowy government cabal, states that the Buffalo Bills will not win a Super Bowl while he lives. Also on The X-Files during the first season
on the episode "Roland", in the background you can see a Buffalo Bills poster hanging on the wall, with former Bills Running Back O.J. Simpson on it.
The Buffalo Bills were featured on the direct-to-TV movie, Second String
and in the Vincent Gallo
drama Buffalo 66.
The Buffalo Bills are mentioned in the 1995 movie Heavyweights
. The character Josh (Shaun Weiss
) says 'Perkis caved like the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl
"
In the 1996 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
episode S04E01 "Lord of the Flies", At one point, Clark picks up a blue Buffalo Bills hat with the Charging Buffalo emblem in the center and uses it to help disguise himself. Dean Cain
, who played Clark Kent
/Superman
, had previously tried out for the Bills. He also, in a later episode, lets it be known that the Metropolis Mammoths were playing the Bills.
Hip hop artist Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson wore a Buffalo Bills away jersey at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
. It was an Eric Moulds
Jersey, with a Buffalo Bills hat.
The Bills are one of the favorite teams of ESPN
announcer Chris Berman, who picked the Bills to reach the Super Bowl nearly every year in the 1990s. Berman often uses the catchphrase "no one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!" Berman gave the induction speech for Bills owner Ralph Wilson when Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2009. The Bills were also a favorite of late NBC
political commentator Tim Russert
, a South Buffalo native, who often referred to the Bills on his Sunday morning talk show, Meet the Press
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. They are currently members of the East Division
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
of the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). They play their home games in the suburb of Orchard Park
Orchard Park (town), New York
Orchard Park is a town in Erie County, New York, a suburb southeast of Buffalo, New York. According to the 2010 census, the population is 29,054. This represents an increase of 5.13% from the 2000 census figure. The town contains a village also named Orchard Park. Orchard Park is one of the...
, and since the 2008 NFL season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
through the 2012 NFL season, play one home game per season and three pre-season games in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
as part of the 5-year Bills Toronto Series
Bills Toronto Series
The Bills Toronto Series is a five-year deal consisting of a series of National Football League games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series began in the 2008 NFL season and will end during the 2012 NFL season...
. The Bills began competitive play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.
The Bills won two consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965, but the club has not won a league championship since then. Buffalo is also the only team to win four consecutive American Football Conference Championships
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
, the only team in either conference to play in four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
games, and the only team ever to lose four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s.
The Bills were named as the result of the winning entry in a local contest by Michael Doucas, which named the team after the AAFC Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
, a previous football franchise from the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
that merged with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1950. That team was named after the historic Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
. The Bills' cheerleaders are known as the Buffalo Jills
Buffalo Jills
The Buffalo Jills are the cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional American football team.The Bills had cheerleaders in 1960 known simply as the Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders. At the time, they were a group of 8 Buffalo State College cheerleaders...
. The official mascot is Billy Buffalo
Billy Buffalo
William "Billy" the Buffalo is the official mascot of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. He is an blue American buffalo and became the team's full time mascot in 2000. He wears the uniform "number" BB.-External links:*...
; Cody is not used in the team's iconography at all.
They are the only New York NFL team to play their home games within New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state proper. Both the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
play in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
, nine miles from their headquarters in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. With the inception of the 5-year Bills Toronto Series deal in 2008, that is good through 2012, they are the only NFL team to play a home game in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The Bills conduct summer training camp at St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, New York
Pittsford, New York
Pittsford may refer to two municipalities in the suburban area of Rochester, New York in the United States:*Pittsford , New York*Pittsford , New York, located entirely within the town...
, an eastern suburb of Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
.
Logos and uniforms
The Bills introduced blue pants worn with the white jerseys in 1973, the last year of the standing buffalo helmet. The blue pants remained through 1985. The face mask on the helmet was blue from 1974 through 1986 before changing to white.
In 1974, the standing bison logo was replaced by a blue charging one with a red slanting stripe streaming from its horn. In 1984, the helmet's background color was changed from white to red, primarily to help Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
distinguish them more readily from three of their division rivals at that time, the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
, the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, who all also wore white helmets at that point. Ferguson said that "Everyone we played had white helmets at that time. Our new head coach Kay Stephenson just wanted to get more of a contrast on the field that may help spot a receiver down the field." (The Patriots now use a silver helmet, the Colts have since been realigned to the AFC South
AFC South
The AFC South is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created before the 2002 season when the league realigned divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
, and the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who switched to green helmets after the 1978 season
1978 NFL season
The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference...
, have since switched back to white helmets.)
In 2002, under the direction of general manager Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe is a former general manager and president of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.-Biography:Prior to his tenure with the Bills, he was director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1991-1999...
, the Bills' uniforms went through radical changes. A darker shade of blue was introduced as the main jersey color, and nickel gray was introduced as an accent color. Both the blue and white jerseys featured red side panels. The white jerseys included a dark blue shoulder yoke and royal blue numbers. The helmet remained primarily red with one navy blue, two nickel, two royal blue, two white stripes, and white face mask. A new logo, a stylized B consisting of two bullets and a more detailed buffalo head on top, was proposed and had been released (it can be seen on a few baseball caps that were released for sale), but fan backlash led to the team retaining the running bison logo. The helmet logo adopted in 1974—a charging royal blue bison, with a red streak, white horn and eyeball—remained unchanged.
In 2005, the Bills revived the standing bison helmet and uniform of the mid-1960s as a throwback uniform.
The Bills usually wore the all-blue combination at home and the all-white combination on the road when not wearing the throwback uniforms. They stopped wearing blue-on-white after 2006, while the white-on-blue was not worn after 2007.
For the 2011 season, the Bills unveiled a new uniform design, an updated rendition of the 1975–83 design. This change includes a return to the white helmets with "charging buffalo" logo, and a return to royal blue instead of navy.
Buffalo sporadically wore white at home in the 1980s, but stopped doing so before their Super Bowl years. On November 6, 2011 against the New York Jets, the Bills wore white at home for the first time since 1986.
Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Distinguished Service Award Recipients
- 1986 - Ben WilliamsBen Williams (American football)Robert Jerry Williams is a retired American football defensive lineman who played in the National Football League between 1976 and 1985. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft out of the University of Mississippi...
- 1987 - Joe DeLamielleureJoe DeLamielleureJoseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
- 1988 - Steve FreemanSteve FreemanSteven Jay Freeman is a former American football defensive back.After playing college football at Mississippi State University, he was selected by the National Football League's New England Patriots in the 1975 NFL Draft. However, he was released by the Patriots before the start of the regular...
- 1989 - Jerry ButlerJerry Butler (American football)Jerry O'Dell Butler is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played his entire career with the Buffalo Bills . Butler was a Pro Bowl selection in 1980. In his career, he caught 278 receptions for 4,301 yards and 29 touchdowns...
- 1990 - Tim VoglerTim VoglerTimothy Gene Vogler was an American football guard in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Ohio State University....
- 1991 - Joe FergusonJoe FergusonJoseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
- 1992 - Ken JonesKen Jones (American football)Kenneth Eugene Jones is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. He played college football at Arkansas State University...
- 1993 - Booker EdgersonBooker EdgersonBooker Tyrone Edgerson is a former American college and Professional Football player. This graduate of Western Illinois University was a cornerstone of the American Football League Buffalo Bills' defense in the mid-1960s, at left cornerback.A four-year letterman ; in 1959 and 1960, he led the...
- 1994 - George “Butch” ByrdButch ByrdGeorge Edward "Butch" Byrd was a professional American football defensive back. He started his career playing college football at Boston University. He joined the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and immediately made an impact in the defensive backfield, with seven interceptions. Byrd was also a solid...
- 1995 - Tony GreeneTony GreeneAnthony Greene was an American football safety in the NFL who played for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at the University of Maryland....
- 1996 - Frank Lewis
- 1996 - Roland HooksRoland HooksRoland Hooks was an American football running back in the NFL who played for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at North Carolina State University....
- 1997 - Jim RitcherJim Ritcher-Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by...
- 1997 - Charley FergusonCharley FergusonCharles Edward Ferguson is a former American college and Professional Football player. He was a tight end with the American Football League's Buffalo Bills. He was in playoff games with the Bills four straight years, 1963 through 1966, and won AFL Championships with them in 1964 and 1965...
- 1998 - Stew BarberStew BarberStewart C. Barber is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player.An offensive tackle from Penn State University, He played his entire career in the American Football League with the Buffalo Bills from 1961 through 1969.He was an American Football League All-Star five consecutive...
- 1998 - Ed RutkowskiEd RutkowskiEdward John Anthony Rutkowski is a former American football player, and a former politician in Buffalo, New York. Rutkowksi was a noted college and professional American football player...
- 1999 - Fred SmerlasFred SmerlasFrederic Charles Smerlas is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots.Smerlas, of Greek-American descent, graduated from Waltham High School in...
- 1999 - Reggie McKenzieReggie McKenzie (guard)Reginald McKenzie is a former American football player. He played at the offensive guard position for the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971 and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1971. He also who played 13 years of professional football for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks...
- 2000 - Darryl TalleyDarryl TalleyDarryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
- 2000 - Ernie WarlickErnie WarlickErnest "Ernie" "Big Hoss" Warlick is a former tight end from North Carolina Central University who played American collegiate and Professional Football as well as Canadian Professional Football...
- 2001 - Steve TaskerSteve TaskerSteven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
- 2001 - Kent Hull
- 2002 - Don BeebeDon BeebeDon Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
- 2003 - Thurman Thomas
- 2004 - Paul MaguirePaul MaguirePaul Leo Maguire is a former American football player and current television sportscaster.-Early sports career:Maguire attended Ursuline High School in Youngstown,Ohio and was recruited to play at The Citadel by the late Al Davis who was then an assistant coach and chief recruiter...
- 2005 - Frank ReichFrank ReichFrank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
- 2006 - Phil HansenPhil Hansen (American football)Phillip Allen Hansen is a former American football defensive end in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, drafted in the second round, making the 1991 all-rookie team, and playing on three Super Bowl teams...
- 2007 - Lou PicconeLou PicconeLouis James Piccone was an American football wide receiver and kick returner who played nine seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. He played college football at West Liberty State College.Piccone caught 100 passes, 1,380 yards and 6 touchdowns in 9 years...
- 2007 - Denny Lynch
- 2008 - Mark KelsoMark KelsoMark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the...
- 2009 - Andre ReedAndre ReedAndre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
- 2010 - Ruben BrownRuben BrownRuben Parnell Brown is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 14th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame
- 1980 - O.J. SimpsonO. J. SimpsonOrenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
- 1984 - Jack KempJack KempJack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
- 1985 - Patrick J. McGroder
- 1987 - Tom SestakTom SestakThomas Joseph Sestak was an American collegiate Professional Football defensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League....
- 1988 - Billy ShawBilly ShawWilliam Lewis "Billy" Shaw is an American former college and professional football player.Drafted in 1961 by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, Billy Shaw of Georgia Tech was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like...
- 1989 - Ralph C. Wilson Jr.
- 1992 - The 12th Man12th Man (football)The 12th man or 12th player is a term used to describe the fans within a stadium during association football or American football games. This term has a different meaning in cricket, referring to the first substitute player who fields when a member of the fielding side is injured...
- 1993 - Elbert DubenionElbert DubenionElbert Dubenion was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for Bluffton College in northwest Ohio....
- 1994 - Mike StrattonMike StrattonDavid Michael Stratton was an American football linebacker in the AFL and NFL for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers....
- 1995 - Joe FergusonJoe FergusonJoseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
- 1996 - Marv LevyMarv LevyMarvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
- 1997 - Joe DeLamielleureJoe DeLamielleureJoseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
- 1998 - Robert James
- 1999 - Edward AbramoskiEdward AbramoskiEdward "Abe" Abramoski served as Head Athletic Trainer for the Buffalo Bills in the American Football League and the NFL for a total of 37 years...
- 2000 - Bob KalsuBob KalsuJames Robert "Bob" Kalsu was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1968....
- 2000 - George SaimesGeorge SaimesGeorge Thomas Saimes is a former American football defensive back and fullback for Michigan State University and the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, which produced American Football League Championships in 1964 and 1965...
- 2001 - Jim KellyJim KellyJames Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
- 2001 - Fred SmerlasFred SmerlasFrederic Charles Smerlas is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots.Smerlas, of Greek-American descent, graduated from Waltham High School in...
- 2002 - Kent Hull
- 2003 - Darryl TalleyDarryl TalleyDarryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
- 2004 - Jim RitcherJim Ritcher-Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by...
- 2005 - Thurman Thomas
- 2006 - Andre ReedAndre ReedAndre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
- 2007 - Steve TaskerSteve TaskerSteven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
- 2008 - Bruce Smith
- 2010 - Booker EdgersonBooker EdgersonBooker Tyrone Edgerson is a former American college and Professional Football player. This graduate of Western Illinois University was a cornerstone of the American Football League Buffalo Bills' defense in the mid-1960s, at left cornerback.A four-year letterman ; in 1959 and 1960, he led the...
- 2011 - Phil HansenPhil Hansen (American football)Phillip Allen Hansen is a former American football defensive end in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, drafted in the second round, making the 1991 all-rookie team, and playing on three Super Bowl teams...
Pro Football Hall Of Fame
- O.J. Simpson (1985)
- Billy ShawBilly ShawWilliam Lewis "Billy" Shaw is an American former college and professional football player.Drafted in 1961 by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, Billy Shaw of Georgia Tech was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like...
(1999) - Marv LevyMarv LevyMarvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
(2001) - Jim KellyJim KellyJames Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
(2002) - James LoftonJames LoftonJames David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills...
(2003) - Joe DeLamielleureJoe DeLamielleureJoseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
(2003) - Thurman Thomas (2007)
- Bruce Smith (2009)
- Ralph Wilson (2009)
Retired numbers
- 12 Jim Kelly, QB, 1986–96
Unofficially retired
- 32 O.J. Simpson, RB, 1969–77
- 34 Thurman Thomas, RB, 1988–99; Cookie Gilchrist, RB, 1962–64
- 78 Bruce Smith, DE, 1985–99 (although guard Ruben BrownRuben BrownRuben Parnell Brown is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 14th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh....
used 78 as his practice jersey; he wore 79 on the field)
Reduced circulation
- 15 Jack KempJack KempJack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
, QB, 1962–69 - 44 Elbert DubenionElbert DubenionElbert Dubenion was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for Bluffton College in northwest Ohio....
, WR, 1960–68 - 66 Billy ShawBilly ShawWilliam Lewis "Billy" Shaw is an American former college and professional football player.Drafted in 1961 by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, Billy Shaw of Georgia Tech was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like...
, OG, 1961–69 - 83 Andre ReedAndre ReedAndre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
, WR, 1985–99
Since the earliest days of the team, the number 31 was not supposed to be issued to any other player. The Bills had stationery and various other team merchandise showing a running player wearing that number, and it was not supposed to represent any specific person, but the 'spirit of the team.' The tradition was broken in 1969 when reserve running back Preston Ridlehuber
Preston Ridlehuber
Howard Preston Ridlehuber is a former American collegiate and Professional Football running back in the NFL and the American Football League . He played one season each for the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and the AFL's Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills...
was issued number 31 for one game while his normal number 36 jersey was repaired by equipment manager Tony Marchitte. The number 31 was not issued again until 1990 when first round draft choice James (J.D.) Williams wore it for his first two seasons. The number has since been released for use by any player and is currently being worn by starting free safety Jairus Byrd
Jairus Byrd
-2009 season:Byrd was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. After spending the first couple of games as a backup Byrd started his first career game at free safety against the Miami Dolphins due to injuries to both the Bills starting safeties Donte Whitner and...
. Byrd had used number 32 in college, but switched to 31 because the team does not issue Simpson's former number 32.
All-time first round draft picks
1960s| Year | Player | College | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 1960 NFL Draft The 1960 National Football League Draft Annual Player Selection Meeting in which NFL teams take turns selecting amateur college American football players and other first-time eligible players, was held in secret in order to fend off increased competition for college players from the American... |
Richie Lucas Richie Lucas Richard John "Riverboat Richie" Lucas is an American former collegiate and Professional Football quarterback, noteworthy as a College Football Hall of Fame quarterback, and best known for his All-American career at Pennsylvania State University .Lucas was born in Glassport, Pennsylvania. He was a... |
Penn State Penn State Nittany Lions football The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the... |
Quarterback |
| 1961 1961 NFL Draft The 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league would later hold an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for... |
Ken Rice Ken Rice (American football) Kenneth Earl Rice is a former an American football offensive tackle in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Auburn University.... , 1st Overall |
Auburn Auburn Tigers football Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the... |
Tackle |
| 1963 1963 NFL Draft The 1963 National Football League Draft was held on December 4, 1962.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
Dave Behrman Dave Behrman David Wesley Behrman is a former American football offensive lineman in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills and the Denver Broncos.-Buffalo Bills:... |
Michigan State Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
Center |
| 1964 1964 NFL Draft The 1964 National Football League Draft took place on December 2, 1963.-Player selections:-Round one:* HOF Member of the Professional Football Hall of Fame-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:... |
Carl Eller Carl Eller Carl Eller is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who played from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota... |
Minnesota Minnesota Golden Gophers football The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers are one of the oldest programs in college football history. They compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. The Golden Gophers have claimed six national championships and have an all time record of 646–481–44 as... |
Defensive End |
| 1965 1965 NFL Draft The 1965 National Football League Draft took place on November 28, 1964. The first player selected was Tucker Frederickson, back from Auburn, by the New York Giants. The draft was marked by the failure of the St... |
Jim Davidson | Ohio State Ohio State Buckeyes football The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state... |
Tackle |
| 1966 1966 NFL Draft The 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the NFL and the AFL drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to play for the more established NFL, or in a rarer... |
Mike Dennis Mike Dennis Walter Michael Dennis was an American football player. A running back, he played college football at the University of Mississippi, and played professionally in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams in 1968 and 1969... |
Mississippi Ole Miss Rebels football The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs... |
Running Back |
| 1967 1967 NFL Draft The 1967 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft in the first year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on March 14–15.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:... |
John Pitts John Pitts (American football) John Martin Pitts is a former American football defensive back. He played in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills and in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, and the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Arizona State University.-External... |
Arizona State Arizona State Sun Devils football The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference.... |
Safety |
| 1968 1968 NFL Draft The 1968 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, in the second year in which the NFL and AFL held a joint draft of college players on January 30–31.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:... |
Haven Moses Haven Moses Haven Christopher Moses is a former American football wide receiver. Haven played collegiately for Los Angeles Harbor College and San Diego State University. He was drafted by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1968 Draft and played for the Bills from 1968 to... |
San Diego State San Diego State Aztecs football The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of... |
Wide Receiver |
| 1969 1969 NFL Draft The 1969 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, the third and final year in which the NFL and American Football League held a joint draft of college players. The draft took place on January 28–29, 1969.... |
O.J. Simpson, 1st Overall | USC | Running Back |
1970s
| Year | Player | College | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 1970 NFL Draft The 1970 National Football League Draft was held on January 27–28, 1970.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
Al Cowlings Al Cowlings Allen G. Cowlings is a retired American football player, known for his role in the saga of O.J. Simpson's murder trial... |
Southern California | Defensive Tackle |
| 1971 1971 NFL Draft The 1971 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1971.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
J.D. Hill J. D. Hill J. D. Hill is a retired American football wide receiver who played seven seasons in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions. Hill played college football at Arizona State University. His son Lonzell Hill also played wide receiver in the NFL... |
Arizona State | Wide Receiver |
| 1972 1972 NFL Draft The 1972 National Football League Draft was held on February 1–2, 1972.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
Walt Patulski Walt Patulski Walter George Patulski is a former American football defensive end at the University of Notre Dame and the National Football League.-High school:... , 1st Overall |
Notre Dame Notre Dame Fighting Irish football Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an... |
Defensive End |
| 1973 1973 NFL Draft The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
Paul Seymour Paul Seymour (American football) Paul Christopher Seymour is a former professional American football player. He played five seasons for the Buffalo Bills.A 6'5", 250 lbs... |
Michigan Michigan Wolverines football The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history... |
Tight End |
| 1973 1973 NFL Draft The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
Joe DeLamielleure Joe DeLamielleure Joseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was... |
Michigan State Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level... |
Guard |
| 1974 1974 NFL Draft The 1974 National Football League Draft took place at the Americana Hotel in New York City on January 29–30, 1974. Each of the 26 NFL teams was granted 17 selections for a total of 442 picks.... |
Reuben Gant Reuben Gant Reuben Charles Gant is a former professional American football tight end in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills. He played college football at Oklahoma State University.... |
Oklahoma State Oklahoma State Cowboys football The Oklahoma State Cowboys football program represents Oklahoma State University–Stillwater in college football. The team is a member of the Big 12 Conference and completes at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Cowboys are led by Mike Gundy, who is in his seventh year as... |
Tight End |
| 1975 1975 NFL Draft The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:... |
Tom Ruud Tom Ruud Thomas Robert "Tom" Ruud is a former professional football player, a linebacker for the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL. At 6'3" 223 lb, he played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers from 1972-74. At the 1975 NFL Draft, Ruud was selected in the first round by the... |
Nebraska Nebraska Cornhuskers football The Nebraska Cornhuskers represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in college football. The program has established itself as a traditional powerhouse, and has the fourth-most all-time victories of any NCAA Division I-A team. Nebraska is one of only six football programs in NCAA Division I-A... |
Linebacker |
| 1976 1976 NFL Draft The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of... |
Mario Clark Mario Clark Mario Sean Clark was an American football cornerback who played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers of the NFL... |
Oregon Oregon Ducks football The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the... |
Defensive Back |
| 1977 1977 NFL Draft The 1977 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1977... |
Phil Dokes Phil Dokes Philip Dennis Dokes was a National Football League defensive end/defensive tackle who played for two seasons. He played for the Buffalo Bills from 1977 to 1978... |
Oklahoma State | Defensive Tackle |
| 1978 1978 NFL Draft The 1978 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 2–3, 1978... |
Terry Miller Terry Miller Terry Miller was an American football running back in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. He was an All-American at Oklahoma State University in 1976 and 1977 and finished second in the 1977 Heisman Trophy voting.... |
Oklahoma State | Running Back |
| 1979 1979 NFL Draft The 1979 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1979... |
Tom Cousineau Tom Cousineau Tom Cousineau is a former American Football linebacker who played three seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes from 1979 to 1981, and six seasons in the National Football League with the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers from 1982 to 1987... , 1st Overall |
Ohio State | Linebacker |
| 1979 | Jerry Butler Jerry Butler (American football) Jerry O'Dell Butler is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He played his entire career with the Buffalo Bills . Butler was a Pro Bowl selection in 1980. In his career, he caught 278 receptions for 4,301 yards and 29 touchdowns... |
Clemson Clemson Tigers football The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
Wide Receiver |
1980s
| Year | Player | College | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Jim Ritcher Jim Ritcher -Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by... |
North Carolina State NC State Wolfpack football The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference.... |
Center |
| 1981 | Booker Moore Booker Moore Booker Thomas Moore was an American football running back.Moore set six high school records in football while attending Flint Southwestern Academy in Flint, Michigan... |
Penn State | Running Back |
| 1982 | Perry Tuttle Perry Tuttle Perry Tuttle is a former Clemson football standout in the early 1980s. His career continued into the National Football League and Canadian Football League... |
Clemson | Wide Receiver |
| 1983 | Tony Hunter Tony Hunter (American football) Tony Wayne Hunter is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles Rams. He was drafted out of the University of Notre Dame in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Bills, ahead of Jim Kelly.-External links:*... |
Notre Dame | Tight End |
| 1983 | Jim Kelly Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers.... |
Miami (FL) Miami Hurricanes football The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships... |
Quarterback |
| 1984 | Greg Bell | Notre Dame | Running Back |
| 1985 | Bruce Smith, 1st Overall | Virginia Tech Virginia Tech Hokies football The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over... |
Defensive End |
| 1985 | Derrick Burroughs Derrick Burroughs Derrick Burroughs is an American football coach and former cornerback who played five seasons in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills... |
Memphis State Memphis Tigers football The Memphis Tigers football team represents the University of Memphis in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. The Tigers compete in Conference USA... |
Defensive Back |
| 1986 | Ronnie Harmon Ronnie Harmon Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb... |
Iowa Iowa Hawkeyes football The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is the interscholastic football team at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. The Hawkeyes have competed in the Big Ten Conference since 1900, and are currently a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association... |
Running Back |
| 1986 | Will Wolford Will Wolford William Charles Wolford is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers.... |
Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Commodores football The Vanderbilt Commodores football program is a college football team that represents Vanderbilt University. The team currently competes in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Southeastern Conference... |
Tackle |
| 1987 | Shane Conlan Shane Conlan Shane Patrick Conlan is a former professional American football player. He played college football at Penn State University, where he won two national championships... |
Penn State | Linebacker |
| 1988 | No 1st Rd Pick, Thurman Thomas (2nd Round) | Oklahoma State | Running Back |
| 1989 | No 1st Rd Pick, Don Beebe Don Beebe Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL.... (3rd Round) |
Chadron State Chadron State College Chadron State College is a four-year public college in the Nebraska State College System in Chadron, Nebraska. The college is located in the northern part of the Nebraska Panhandle, in the Pine Ridge area.... |
Wide Receiver |
1990s
| Year | Player | College | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | James Williams | Fresno State Fresno State Bulldogs football The Fresno State Bulldogs football team represents California State University, Fresno in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The green “V” on the Bulldogs' helmets, uniforms, field symbolize California Central Valley, specifically the San Joaquin Valley, the agricultural valley from which they... |
Defensive Back |
| 1991 | Henry Jones | Illinois Illinois Fighting Illini football The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51... |
Defensive Back |
| 1992 | John Fina John Fina John Joseph Fina is a former American football offensive lineman, who spent eleven years in the National Football League, ten of those with the Buffalo Bills, and a one-year stint with the Arizona Cardinals... |
Arizona Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football team is the football team of the University of Arizona, located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level.-Early years:... |
Tackle |
| 1993 | Thomas Smith | North Carolina North Carolina Tar Heels football The North Carolina Tar Heels football team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in collegiate level football. In Carolina’s first 121 seasons of football competition, the Tar Heels have compiled a record of 646–488–54, a winning percentage of .566... |
Defensive Back |
| 1994 | Jeff Burris Jeff Burris Jeffrey Lamar Burris is a former professional American Football cornerback who played 10 years in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Indianapolis Colts, and the Cincinnati Bengals from 1994 to 2003... |
Notre Dame | Defensive Back |
| 1995 | Ruben Brown Ruben Brown Ruben Parnell Brown is a former American football guard of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 14th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Pittsburgh.... |
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Panthers football Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football... |
Guard |
| 1996 | Eric Moulds Eric Moulds Eric Shannon Moulds is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 24th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State... |
Mississippi State Mississippi State Bulldogs football The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124... |
Wide Receiver |
| 1997 | Antowain Smith Antowain Smith Antowain Drurell Smith is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. At 6'2", , Smith's powerful running style made him an effective runner between the tackles... |
Houston Houston Cougars football The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by... |
Running Back |
| 1998 | No 1st Rd Pick, Sam Cowart Sam Cowart Samuel Cowart, III is a former American football linebacker who primarily played for the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings of the NFL... (2nd Round) |
Florida State Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University in college football. The Florida State Seminoles compete in NCAA Division I-FBS and are members of the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference... |
Linebacker |
| 1999 | Antoine Winfield Antoine Winfield Antoine Winfield is an American football cornerback in the NFL. He played college football at The Ohio State University, winning the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation's top defensive back in 1998. Winfield was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft. Since 2004, he... |
Ohio State | Defensive Back |
2000s
| Year | Player | College | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Erik Flowers Erik Flowers Erik Mathews Flowers is a former professional American football defensive end at Arizona State University and was selected in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills... |
Arizona State | Defensive End |
| 2001 | Nate Clements Nate Clements Nathan D. Clements is an American football cornerback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 21st overall in the 2001 NFL Draft... |
Ohio State | Defensive Back |
| 2002 | Mike Williams Mike Williams (offensive lineman) Michael Deshaun "Mike" Williams is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills fourth overall in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas... |
Texas Texas Longhorns football The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National... |
Tackle |
| 2003 | Willis McGahee Willis McGahee Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft... |
Miami (FL) | Running Back |
| 2004 | Lee Evans Lee Evans (American football) -Buffalo Bills:Evans was initially assigned the jersey number 84. Evans, as a reference to his full name, had always worn the number 3 in college, a number that was not allowed to be used in professional football for wide receivers... |
Wisconsin Wisconsin Badgers football The Wisconsin Badgers are a college football program that represents the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games at Camp Randall Stadium, the fourth-oldest stadium in college football... |
Wide Receiver |
| 2004 | J.P. Losman | Tulane Tulane Green Wave Green Wave, the nickname of the sports teams of Tulane University, was adopted during the 1920 season, after a song titled The Rolling Green Wave was published in Tulane's student newspaper in 1920. From 1893 to 1919, the athletic teams of Tulane were known as the Olive and Blue for the official... |
Quarterback |
| 2005 | No 1st Round Pick, Roscoe Parrish Roscoe Parrish Roscoe Parrish is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft... (2nd Round) |
Miami (FL) | Wide Receiver |
| 2006 | Donte Whitner Donte Whitner Donte Whitner is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the Ohio State University... |
Ohio State | Safety |
| 2006 | John McCargo John McCargo John McCargo is an American football defensive tackle who plays for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft... |
North Carolina State | Defensive Tackle |
| 2007 | Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Lynch Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984... |
California California Golden Bears football The California Golden Bears football team is the college football team of the University of California. The team plays its home games at California Memorial Stadium, however the team played at San Francisco's AT&T Park in 2011 while Memorial Stadium was being renovated, the team will return to... |
Running Back |
| 2008 | Leodis McKelvin Leodis McKelvin -Buffalo Bills:On July 26, McKelvin signed a five-year, $19.4 million contract with the Bills with up to $12.6 million in bonuses. McKelvin made an impact with his kick returning skills. McKelvin also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in a preseason game against the Steelers. The... |
Troy Troy Trojans football The Troy Trojans football program represents Troy University, Alabama, in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly known as Division I-A, of which it has been a member since 2001... |
Defensive Back |
| 20091 | Aaron Maybin Aaron Maybin -Buffalo Bills:On August 21, 2009, Maybin agreed to a five-year deal with the Buffalo Bills after being drafted with the 11th pick in the first round. He finished the season with 18 tackles and zero sacks while playing in all 16 regular season games during his 2009 rookie year.In his second season,... |
Penn State | Defensive End/Outside Linebacker |
| 20091 | Eric Wood Eric Wood -Buffalo Bills:Wood was selected with the 28th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Counted on to start at right guard, Wood joined a completely retooled offensive line that was expected to feature two rookie starters—him, and second round pick Andy Levitre at left guard—and no players... |
Louisville Louisville Cardinals football The Louisville Cardinals football team represents the University of Louisville in college football as a member of the Big East Conference. Howard Schnellenberger started the program's rise to relevancy after winning the Miami Hurricanes' first national championship... |
Center |
| 20101 | C.J. Spiller | Clemson | Running Back |
| 2011 | Marcell Dareus Marcell Dareus -Buffalo Bills:Dareus was selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills on April 28, 2011. On April 29, the day after the first round, the Bills announced that Dareus would wear jersey number 99. On July, 29, 2011, Dareus signed a 4 year deal with the Bills worth... |
Alabama | Defensive Tackle |
1 In addition to their own pick (11th overall), the Bills received the 28th overall pick, as well as a fourth-round pick (121st overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
and a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
, from the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in a trade for OT Jason Peters
Jason Peters
-Buffalo Bills:Peters was picked up by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted rookie free agent in April 2004. He was cut then re-signed to the Bills' practice squad. He was signed to the active roster on November 12, 2004...
Recent Pro Bowl selections
- 2010 Season - Kyle Williams (Defensive Tackle - Injury Replacement)
- 2009 Season - Jairus Byrd (Safety)
- 2008 Season - Jason Peters (Starting Offensive Tackle), Marshawn Lynch (Running Back - Injury Replacement)
- 2007 Season - Jason Peters (Offensive Tackle), Aaron Schobel (Defensive End - Injury Replacement)
- 2006 Season - Aaron Schobel (Defensive End), Brian Moorman (Punter)
- 2005 Season - Brian Moorman (Punter), Mike Schneck (Need Player)
- 2004 Season - Takeo Spikes (Linebacker), Ruben Brown (Offensive Guard)
- 2002 Season - Drew Bledsoe (Quarterback), Ruben Brown (Offensive Guard), Eric Moulds (Wide Receiver), Travis Henry (Running Back - Injury Replacement)
Radio and television
The Buffalo Bills Radio NetworkBuffalo Bills Radio Network
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is a broadcast radio network based in Buffalo, New York, the official radio broadcaster of the Buffalo Bills. The network's radio broadcasts are currently flagshipped at WGRF in Buffalo, New York, a station owned by Cumulus Media...
is currently flagshipped at WGRF
WGRF
WGRF is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "97 Rock". The station mostly plays Classic rock from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
FM 96.9 FM, and WEDG
WEDG
WEDG is a radio station in Buffalo, New York, USA. The station's on air branding is "103.3 The Edge" and broadcasts on 103.3 MHz FM. WEDG has an active rock format and is best known for its afternoon-drive hosts, "Shredd and Ragan," and being the co-flagship of the Buffalo Bills Radio Network...
FM 103.3. WSPQ AM 1330 is the AM home of the team. John Murphy
John Murphy (announcer)
John Murphy is an American sportscaster from Buffalo, New York.Murphy is best known for his association with the Buffalo Bills, where he currently serves as the play-by-play announcer for the team's radio network...
is the team's current play-by-play announcer; he was a color commentator
Color commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
alongside, and eventually succeeded, longtime voice Van Miller
Van Miller
Van Miller is a retired former radio and television sports announcer from Dunkirk, New York, where he began his career at Dunkirk radio station WFCB calling play-by-play for high school football games...
after Miller's retirement at the end of the 2003 NFL season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
. Mark Kelso
Mark Kelso
Mark Alan Kelso is a former American football player who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the tenth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 177 lbs. safety from North Hills High School and the College of William & Mary, Kelso played in eight NFL seasons and his entire career with the...
serves as the color analyst. The Bills radio network has over twenty affiliates in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
and one affiliate, CJCL 590AM (The Fan) in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
Buffalo is one of eight teams that is contracted with Compass Media Networks
Compass Media Networks
Compass Media Networks is an American radio network.The company launched in January 2009. It is owned by former Westwood One CEO and former COO of Connoisseur Media, Peter Kosann...
to syndicate selected games nationwide.
During the preseason, most games are televised on Buffalo's ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
affiliate, WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV
WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who...
channel 7, with several other affiliates in western New York
Western New York
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York. It includes the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Niagara Falls, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others...
. These games are simulcast on sister stations WTVH
WTVH
WTVH is the CBS-affiliated television station for Central New York State licensed to Syracuse. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 47 from a transmitter in LaFayette. The station can also be seen on Time Warner and Verizon FiOS channel 5. There is a high definition feed...
in Syracuse, WICU
WICU-TV
WICU-TV, channel 12, is an NBC-affiliated television station located in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA. WICU-TV is owned by SJL Broadcasting, which also operates CBS affiliate WSEE-TV and its CW subchannel through a local marketing agreement...
in Erie, WHAM-TV
WHAM-TV
WHAM-TV is the ABC-affiliated television station for Rochester, New York. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter on Pinnacle Hill on the border between Rochester and Brighton. The station can also be seen on Time Warner channel 13 and in high definition...
in Rochester, and beginning in 2008, CITY-TV
CITY-TV
CITY-DT, Channel 57 , is a television station based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada owned and operated by Rogers Media...
in Toronto. Ray Bentley
Ray Bentley
Ray Russell Bentley is a former professional American football linebacker.-Playing career:...
, a former Bills linebacker and current AFL on ESPN
Arena Football League on ESPN
Russell Athletic ESPN Arena Football was a presentation of the Arena Football League on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Radio and ESPN on ABC. The telecasts were simulcast on ESPNHD, ESPN2HD and ABC HD...
analyst, does play by play, while CBS analyst and former Bills special teams player Steve Tasker
Steve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
does color commentary on these games. WHAM-TV sports anchor Mike Catalana
Mike Catalana
Mike Catalana is the Sports Director of WHAM-TV, the ABC affiliate in Rochester, New York. His professional career began in 1986 when he became the Sports Director at WMGC-TV, the ABC affiliate in Binghamton, New York. He came to WOKR in Rochester as the weekend sports anchor and reporter in...
is the sideline reporter. Since 2008, preseason games have been broadcast in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
In the event that regular season (or preseason) games are broadcast by a cable outlet (ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
or NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
), WKBW-TV carries the ESPN or NFL Network feed.
THE BILLS MAKE ME WANNA SHOUT is a song played throughout home bills game as a touchdown is scored in favor of the bills.
Training camp sites
- 1960-1962 Roycroft Inn, East Aurora, New YorkEast Aurora, New YorkEast Aurora is a village in Erie County, New York, United States, southeast of Buffalo. The Village of East Aurora lies in the eastern half of the Town of Aurora.The population was 6,673 at the 2000 census...
- 1963-1967 Camelot Hotel, Blasdell, New YorkBlasdell, New YorkBlasdell is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,718 according to the year 2000 census. The name is derived from Herman Blasdell, the first station master of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad depot...
- 1968-1980 Niagara UniversityNiagara UniversityNiagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
, Niagara Falls, New YorkNiagara Falls, New YorkNiagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they... - 1981-1999 State University at Fredonia, Fredonia, New YorkFredonia, New YorkFredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
- 2000–Present, St. John Fisher College, Pittsford, New YorkPittsford (village), New YorkPittsford is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont, the native town of a founding father....
Mascots, cheerleaders and marching band
The Bills' official mascot is Billy BuffaloBilly Buffalo
William "Billy" the Buffalo is the official mascot of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. He is an blue American buffalo and became the team's full time mascot in 2000. He wears the uniform "number" BB.-External links:*...
, an eight-foot tall, anthropomorphic blue American bison
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
who wears the jersey number BB.
The Bills' cheerleaders are known as the Buffalo Jills
Buffalo Jills
The Buffalo Jills are the cheerleading squad for the Buffalo Bills professional American football team.The Bills had cheerleaders in 1960 known simply as the Buffalo Bills Cheerleaders. At the time, they were a group of 8 Buffalo State College cheerleaders...
. The Jills are not owned by the Bills, but instead are a separate organization funded primarily by the Buffalo Bills Radio Network
Buffalo Bills Radio Network
The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is a broadcast radio network based in Buffalo, New York, the official radio broadcaster of the Buffalo Bills. The network's radio broadcasts are currently flagshipped at WGRF in Buffalo, New York, a station owned by Cumulus Media...
, a subsidiary of Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
.
The Attica High School Marching Band is the official marching band
Marching band
Marching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
of the Buffalo Bills. Along with the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
and the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
, the Bills are one of only three teams in the NFL to designate an official marching band. The Marching Band performs yearly pregame.
In popular culture
Howard UniversityHoward University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
's mascot, the Bison, is designed identically to the Buffalo Bills' "charging buffalo" logo.
In the 1996 X-Files
The X-Files
The X-Files is an American science fiction television series and a part of The X-Files franchise, created by screenwriter Chris Carter. The program originally aired from to . The show was a hit for the Fox network, and its characters and slogans became popular culture touchstones in the 1990s...
episode "Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man
Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man
"Musings of a Cigarette Smoking Man" is a 1996 episode of The X-Files television series. It was the seventh episode broadcast in the show's fourth season...
", the titular character, a member of a shadowy government cabal, states that the Buffalo Bills will not win a Super Bowl while he lives. Also on The X-Files during the first season
The X-Files (season 1)
The first season of the science fiction television series The X-Files commenced airing on the Fox network in the United States on September 10, 1993 and concluded on the same channel on May 13, 1994 after airing all 24 episodes....
on the episode "Roland", in the background you can see a Buffalo Bills poster hanging on the wall, with former Bills Running Back O.J. Simpson on it.
The Buffalo Bills were featured on the direct-to-TV movie, Second String
Second String (Film)
Second String is a direct-to-TV film from 2002 about the Buffalo Bills football team who find its first string out for a month after a food poisoning incident, leading the team's head coach, "Chuck Dichter" , to hire an insurance salesman named Dan Heller...
and in the Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo
Vincent Gallo is an Italian-American film director and actor. Though he has had minor roles in mainstream films such as Goodfellas, he is most associated with independent movies, including Buffalo '66, which he wrote, directed, did the music for and starred in; The Brown Bunny, which he also...
drama Buffalo 66.
The Buffalo Bills are mentioned in the 1995 movie Heavyweights
Heavyweights
Heavyweights is a 1995 comedy-drama film, directed by Steven Brill and co-written by Brill with Judd Apatow. Heavyweights is about a fat camp for kids that is taken over by a fitness guru named Tony Perkis .-Plot:...
. The character Josh (Shaun Weiss
Shaun Weiss
Shaun Weiss is an American television and film actor. Weiss started his acting career as Elvis on Pee-wee's Playhouse. He is best known for his portrayal of Greg Goldberg in The Mighty Ducks films. Shaun also has a cult following for his role as Josh in the Disney film Heavyweights...
) says 'Perkis caved like the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
"
In the 1996 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman was a live-action American television series based on the Superman comic books...
episode S04E01 "Lord of the Flies", At one point, Clark picks up a blue Buffalo Bills hat with the Charging Buffalo emblem in the center and uses it to help disguise himself. Dean Cain
Dean Cain
Dean Cain is an American actor. He is most widely known for his role as Clark Kent/Superman in the popular American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
, who played Clark Kent
Clark
Clark is surname in the English language, ultimately derived from the Latin clericus meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educated. Clark evolved from "clerk". First records of the name are found in 12th century England...
/Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, had previously tried out for the Bills. He also, in a later episode, lets it be known that the Metropolis Mammoths were playing the Bills.
Hip hop artist Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson wore a Buffalo Bills away jersey at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards
2005 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2005 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on August 28, 2005, honoring the best music videos from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005. The show was hosted by Diddy at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami, Florida...
. It was an Eric Moulds
Eric Moulds
Eric Shannon Moulds is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 24th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State...
Jersey, with a Buffalo Bills hat.
The Bills are one of the favorite teams of ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
announcer Chris Berman, who picked the Bills to reach the Super Bowl nearly every year in the 1990s. Berman often uses the catchphrase "no one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!" Berman gave the induction speech for Bills owner Ralph Wilson when Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 2009. The Bills were also a favorite of late NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
political commentator Tim Russert
Tim Russert
Timothy John "Tim" Russert was an American television journalist and lawyer who appeared for more than 16 years as the longest-serving moderator of NBC's Meet the Press. He was a senior vice president at NBC News, Washington bureau chief and also hosted the eponymous CNBC/MSNBC weekend interview...
, a South Buffalo native, who often referred to the Bills on his Sunday morning talk show, Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
.
See also
- List of American Football League players
- List of Buffalo Bills seasons
- Major North American professional sports teams