The Buffalo Bills are the only team in NFL history to appear in four straight Super Bowls. Although the franchise is still in search of its first victory in the “big game,” several memorable players from that period are among the team’s best draft picks. Three other top picks did find championship success in the 1960s, when the Bills won back-to-back AFC titles.
BEST
10. Butch Byrd, CB (Round 4, Pick 25 in 1964) - George “Butch” Byrd was a Boston University product who went on to set Bills franchise marks with 40 interceptions and five returned for touchdowns. He earned five AFL All-Star and three All-Pro selections as a cornerback, and he also made his mark as a punt returner. Byrd was an integral part of two Bills AFL Championship teams, and had interceptions in both title games against the Chargers.
9. (tie) Kyle Williams, DT (Round 5, Pick 134 in 2006) and Aaron Schobel, DE (Round 2, Pick 46 in 2001) - Williams was a part of LSU’s National Championship team as a sophomore in 2003, and was a second-team All-American two years later. In 13 seasons with the Bills, he was a six-time Pro Bowler who ranks fifth in team history with 48½ sacks, including a career-high 10½ in 2013. Williams missed 11 games in 2011 with bone spurs in his foot, as well as an Achilles tendon injury. A torn meniscus also cost him 10 games in 2015. One of the most beloved players since the early 1990s, Williams retired in 2018 after he appeared in the Pro Bowl as an injury replacement for Tennessee’s Jurrell Casey.
Schobel was the Western Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 with Texas Christian. He ranks second on the Bills all-time list with 78 sacks, including four seasons with 10 or more. Schobel made his first of two Pro Bowl appearances after registering a career-high 14 sacks in 2006. After nine seasons and 133 games, Schobel retired in 2009.
8. Mike Stratton, LB (Round 13, Pick 100 in 1962) - Stratton was a tight end and defensive end at the University of Tennessee before Bills’ coach Lou Saban converted him to linebacker. He was a key player in Buffalo’s 1964 AFL Championship Game victory: The Chargers were already leading 7-0, and Keith Lincoln was on his way to a 38-yard run when Stratton’s tackle, known as the “hit heard ’round the world” broke several of Lincoln’s ribs and took the star running back out of the game. Stratton also had an interception as the Bills came back for a 20-7 win, the first of the team’s two straight titles. After 11 years in Buffalo, he signed with San Diego, where he played one season before retiring in 1973. Stratton had six interceptions in his rookie season, and 18 overall with the Bills. He was an insurance executive in Tennessee after his playing career, and he passed away on March 25, 2020, due to complications after a fall.
7. Billy Shaw, G (Round 2, Pick 9 in 1961) - Shaw was an All-American while playing on both the offensive and defensive line at Georgia Tech in 1961. He preferred to be on defense, but starred at guard during the College All-Star Game as a senior. Shaw was selected by both the Bills in the AFL and the Cowboys in round 14 of the NFL Draft. He chose Buffalo and became the driving force behind the team’s offense. Shaw was selected to eight straight AFL All-Star Games from 1962 to 1969, and five straight All-Pro teams from 1962 to 1966. He spent his entire career in the AFL, and was named to the league’s All-Time Team after his retirement in 1969. Shaw was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999.
6. Joe DeLamielleure, G (Round 1, Pick 26 in 1973) - Another Bills Hall of Fame offensive lineman, DeLamielleure was an All-American at Michigan State before embarking on a 13-year NFL career. He was the star on Buffalo’s “Electric Company” line that opened up running holes for O. J. Simpson during the 1970s, especially in his 2,003-yard season in 1973. DeLamielleure was selected to six straight Pro Bowls from 1975 to 1980 and three All-Pro teams. He was traded to Cleveland in 1980, where he blocked for Brian Sipe in his 4,000-yard season. DeLamielleure returned to the Bills for his final season in 1985 before retiring. The 2003 Hall of Famer had a brief stint with the Arena Football League’s Charlotte Rage, and also was an offensive line coach at Liberty and Duke.
5. Jim Kelly, QB (Round 1, Pick 14 in 1983) - Kelly attended the University of Miami, where he changed positions from linebacker to quarterback. He was drafted by the Bills, but during the meeting to negotiate his contract, Kelly was contacted by Bruce Allen, a general manager in the United States Football League, who persuaded him to choose the new league instead. In the USFL, Kelly (who led the Houston Gamblers) and Steve Young, of the Los Angeles Express, played a game for the ages. Young had his team up 33-14 with 10 minutes left, but Kelly tossed three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to give Houston a 34-33 win. Kelly threw for 574 yards in what was later called “The Greatest Game No One Saw,” because ABC showed future Bills quarterback Doug Flutie’s first game for the New Jersey Generals against the Orlando Renegades instead. After the USFL folded in 1986, Kelly joined the Bills and led the team to eight playoff appearances in 11 seasons. Using the “K-Gun” no-huddle offense, the Bills appeared in the Super Bowl four straight seasons. His totals of 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns both top Buffalo’s all-time list. A five-time Pro Bowler and 1991 All-Pro, Kelly retired in 1996, but has faced quite a bit of adversity after his playing career. His son, Hunter, died in 2005 from Krabbe disease, a condition that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. Kelly has also been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a form of cancer, in his upper jaw three times. After several surgeries, the 2002 Pro Football Hall of Famer is currently cancer-free.
4. Thurman Thomas, RB (Round 2, Pick 30 in 1988) - Thomas was an All-American in high school and earned the honor twice in college (1985 and ’87) at Oklahoma State, where he mentored Barry Sanders. Thomas is Buffalo’s all-time leader with 11,938 yards and 65 touchdowns, and he ranks third in team history with 456 receptions. The five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro amassed eight straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Bills. Although he played in four straight Super Bowls, his greatest individual achievement came in 1991, when he was named league MVP after running for 1,407 yards and seven scores. Thomas signed with the Dolphins in 2000, but suffered a knee injury and retired at the end of the season. He started a foundation in 1992 that helps provide scholarships to inner-city youths in the Buffalo area.
3. O. J. Simpson, RB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1969) - If you judge Simpson by his playing career alone, he is one of the most polarizing figures in NFL history. He was a member of USC’s National Championship squad in 1967 and he won the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award the following year. The two-time All-American was drafted first overall in 1969, and brought excitement to Buffalo. He ranks second in team history with 10,183 yards and 57 touchdowns. The five-time Pro Bowler and All-Pro led the NFL in rushing yards four times and scores twice. In 1973, Simpson became the first player in an exclusive club, rushing for 2,003 yards in just 14 games. Two years later, “Juice” amassed 1,817 yards and 16 touchdowns. Despite all of Simpson’s accolades, the Bills made the playoffs just one in nine years, and he was traded to San Francisco in 1978. He retired after two seasons and was second all-time behind Jim Brown with 11,236 rushing yards (he now ranks 21st). After his playing career, Simpson was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and became a beloved actor and announcer; until 1994, that is. He was a person of interest in the death of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and friend, Ron Goldman, and he led police in Los Angeles on a low-speed automobile pursuit that captivated a television audience for hours. Simpson was found not-guilty after an 11-month trial, but he was ruled liable in a wrongful death lawsuit brought about by Goldman’s family. He was later convicted of robbery at a Las Vegas casino, and was released on parole in 2017.
2. Andre Reed, WR (Round 4, Pick 86 in 1985) - The Cowboys had their “Triplets” on offense with quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and wide receiver Michael Irvin. However, Dallas squared off twice in the Super Bowl with a Buffalo squad that also had three dynamic weapons. Arguably the most potent of those weapons was Reed, who attended little-known Kutztown University in Pennsylvania. He was an instant starter in Buffalo, where he spent the next 15 years. Reed was selected to seven straight Pro Bowls (1988-94), played in four straight Super Bowls and had four seasons with at least 1,000 yards. His totals of 941 catches, 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns are all the most in Bills history by a wide margin. Arguably his best game came in the 1992 Wild Card round, when he caught eight passes for 136 yards and three scores as the Frank Reich-led Bills came from 35-3 down to defeat the Houston Oilers, 41-38, in overtime in a game that is simply known as “The Comeback.” Reed was released by the Bills in 2000, and spent one season with the Redskins before retiring. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
1. Bruce Smith, DE (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1985) - Smith was a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech, and he overcame a lackluster rookie season to become one of the league’s top pass rushers. He was selected to 11 Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro teams. He is the all-time NFL sack leader with 200, including a franchise-best 171 in 15 seasons with Buffalo. Smith had double-digit sack totals 12 times, with a high of 19 in 1990, when he won the first of two Defensive Player of the Year Awards. The other time he was honored was 1996, when he amassed 13½ sacks and led the NFL with five forced fumbles. In addition to sacks, Smith is the Bills’ all-time leader with 35 forced fumbles, ranks second with 942 solo tackles and sits fifth on the all-time franchise list with 14 fumble recoveries. He was released by the Bills, along with Thomas and Reed, in 2000, and signed with the Redskins, where he spent his final four seasons. Since his retirement, the 2009 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee has worked as a hotel designer.
WORST
10. (tie) Al Cowlings, DE (Round 1, Pick 5 in 1970) and Terry Miller, RB (Round 1, Pick 5 in 1978) - “A. C.” was a friend of O. J. Simpson’s dating back to their days at USC in the late 1960s. Cowlings was an All-American with the Trojans in 1969, and started for three years in Buffalo before he was traded to the Oilers in 1973. After two years in Houston, he signed with the Rams, then the expansion Seahawks, back to the Rams, then the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL and finally the 49ers before retiring in 1979. Despite a 10-year playing career, Cowlings is best known for driving Simpson around in a white 1993 Ford Bronco after the death of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Cowlings was arrested for aiding a fugitive, but the district attorney decided against charging him.
Miller was a two-time All-American (1976 and ’77) at Oklahoma State, and finished second to Earl Campbell in the 1977 Heisman Trophy voting. He ran for 1,060 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie in 1978, but was supplanted as a starter by Joe Cribbs and was used primarily as a kick returner. Miller signed with Seattle in 1981 before retiring. He was convicted of bank fraud in 1999.
9. Walt Patulski, DE (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1972) - Patulski converted from fullback to linebacker at Notre Dame, and was named an All-American in 1971. He played four seasons with the Bills and was unofficially credited with 21½ sacks (since the statistic would not be tracked by the NFL until 1982). He was traded to St. Louis, and spent one year with the Cardinals before a knee injury forced him to retire in 1977. After his playing career, Patulski was a Commissioner of the Syracuse Board of Education and a board member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.
8. James Hardy, WR (Round 2, Pick 41 in 2008) - Hardy was a big receiver (6-foot-5, 220 pounds) who was supposed to be a complement to star Lee Evan in Buffalo. Instead, he had 10 catches, 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns in two seasons with the Bills. The Ravens wanted to use him, but chronic hamstring issues forced him to retire in 2011. Hardy had issues with drugs after his playing career. He died from drowning in 2014 after his body was found lodged in a dam in Indiana, and his death was ruled a suicide.
7. EJ Manuel, QB (Round 1, Pick 16 in 2013) - Manuel led Florida State to an ACC title as a senior in 2012 and started as a rookie in Buffalo before a sprained lateral collateral ligament caused him to miss five games. Over the next three years, he struggled for playing time and ended up behind Kyle Orton, Tyrod Taylor and Cardale Jones on the Bills’ depth chart. He signed with the Raiders in 2017 and spent two years in Oakland before being named the third string quarterback in Kansas City. He retired after the 2019 season, and will be an analyst on the ACC Network.
6. John McCargo, DT (Round 1, Pick 26 in 2006) - The big defensive tackle was a Sporting News Freshman All-American honoree at North Carolina State in 2003. He appeared in 40 games over five seasons with Buffalo, playing in all 16 contests and registering 2½ sacks in 2007. The Bills traded him to the Colts the following year, but he failed a physical, stopping the trade. Buffalo released McCargo in 2011, and he played four games with Tampa Bay. He was waived by the Bears and retired from football in 2012. McCargo was arrested on drug, domestic violence, and gun possession charges in 2017.
5. Erik Flowers, DE (Round 1, Pick 26 in 2000) - An Arizona State product, Flowers was seen as a replacement for Bruce Smith, who was released by the Bills in 2000. He lasted just two years in Buffalo, totaling four sacks and 41 tackles in 31 games. Flowers was claimed off waivers by the expansion Texans in 2002, and spent parts of the next two years with the Rams. He was cut by the Falcons during training camp in 2005, and a back injury kept him from playing with the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts the following year.
4. Tom Cousineau, LB (Round 1, Pick 1 in 1979) - Cousineau was a two-time All-American while playing for legendary coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State. He was selected first overall in 1979 after the Bills acquired the selection for the 49ers as part of the O. J. Simpson trade. He spurned the Bills and chose instead to play for the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, who offered a contract that was double Buffalo’s best offer. Cousineau was the Grey Cup MVP in 1979, but Montreal lost the title to the Edmonton Eskimos. He was a CFL All-Star the following year, but missed most of the 1981 season due to an elbow injury. When he came back to the NFL in 1982, Buffalo still owned his rights. The Bills traded him to the Browns for a first round pick in 1983 that the team used to select Jim Kelly. Cousineau spent four years with Cleveland and two more with San Francisco before retiring in 1987. He finished with 10 interceptions and 6½ sacks in 66 career games.
3. Mike Williams, T (Round 1, Pick 4 in 2002) - Williams had the size (6-foot-7, 337 pounds) the Bills were looking for, and they drafted the 2001 All-American from Texas fourth in 2002. Although he started 48 games in four seasons, Williams’ poor work ethic made him a disappointment, whether he was at right tackle, left tackle or guard. He was released by the Bills and signed by the Jaguars, but did not play for Jacksonville. After two years out of football, Williams signed with the Redskins and played well at guard. However, blood clots were discovered near his heart in 2010, and they ultimately ended his career.
2. Aaron Maybin, DE (Round 1, Pick 11 in 2009) - Maybin earned All-American honors in 2008 after recording 12 sacks with the Big Ten Champion Penn State squad. He managed exactly half that number in four NFL seasons. Maybin totaled just 25 tackles in two seasons with Buffalo before signing with the Jets in 2011. He had all six of his career sacks and four forced fumbles in his first season in New York, but was released after eight games the following year. He played with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 2013 and retired after the season. Since his playing days, Maybin has become a successful artist, and started the Project Mayhem charitable organization, which provides economic and personal aid to underprivileged and at-risk youth.
1. J. P. Losman, QB (Round 1, Pick 22 in 2004) - Jonathan Paul Losman was the first quarterback taken by the Bills in the first round since Jim Kelly in 1983. Like Kelly, Losman was selected in a Draft year that featured several talented quarterbacks taken in the first round. However, while Eli Manning, Philip Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger had productive pro careers, the former Tulane product did not have very much success in the NFL. Buffalo traded three picks to Dallas to move up into the first round and take Losman after grabbing receiver Lee Evans with the 13th pick in 2004. But Losman broke his left fibula after cornerback Troy Vincent ran into him in training camp, and he struggled to a 1-7 mark as a starter in 2005 before being replaced by Kelly Holcomb. Losman went 7-9 the following year, but he was sacked 47 times thanks to a poor offensive line, and also had an inconsistent running game led by Willis McGahee. Losman suffered a left knee sprain, and lost his starting spot to rookie Trent Edwards in 2007. He left Buffalo after another season as a backup. When no NFL team wanted to sign him in 2009, Losman went to the United Football League, where he helped the Las Vegas Locomotives win the UFL Championship in the league’s first season. He played with the Raiders, Seahawks and Dolphins for a season each before retiring in 2011. He is currently an offensive coach with Clemson.
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ and college football statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/
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