The Buffalo Bills are an American professional gridiron football team headquartered in Buffalo that competes in the American Football Conference (AFC) of the National Football League (NFL). Since owner Ralph Wilson Jr. started the team as an inaugural member of the now-defunct American Football League in 1960, the Buffalo Bills have had a colorful history. The Bills have had a lot of highs and a lot of lows in their history.
Despite failing to win any of the four Super Bowls, the team is the only franchise to make four consecutive trips.
Nine members of the Buffalo Bills organization have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame over the years. However, this does not always imply that they were the team’s best players.
It was difficult to narrow down a top ten list with so many outstanding players on the team.
The top 5 famous players in the franchise’s 53-year history are shown in this article.
1. DE Bruce Smith (1985-1999)
Bruce Smith played 15 seasons for the Buffalo Bills. He is considered one of the best defensive players in NFL history. Smith has been selected to 14 Pro Bowls and was named an 11-time All-Pro. The first choice in the 1985 NFL draft, Smith had the most sacks of any player.
2. QB Jim Kelly (1986 – 1996)
Jim Kelly’s name was drafted in the third round of the 1983 NFL draft. He led the Buffalo Bills to a 101-59 regular-season record and a fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Kelly was a five-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro.
3. RB O.J. Simpson (1969-1977)
O.J. Simpson was drafted with the first pick of the 1969 NFL draft. He was a four-time rushing champion and was named to six Pro Bowls. Simpson is the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. The Buffalo Bills traded Simpson to the San Francisco 49ers in 1978.
4. Andre Reed (1985-1999)
During Jim Kelly’s 15 years with the Buffalo Bills, Andre Reed was his favorite receiving target. During the Super Bowl years, he was the Bills’ starting wide receiver, catching 941 catches for 13,095 yards and 86 touchdowns in 217 starts. Reed has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame several times but has yet to be inducted. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and was chosen to two All-Pro teams. Reed is now ranked 12th all-time in receiving yards in his career. In Super Bowls, he has 27 catches for 353 yards, ranking him among the greatest in NFL history.
5. Steve Tasker (1986-1997)
Steve Tasker is widely regarded as one of the finest special teams players in NFL history. He transformed the game by emphasizing special team play. He only caught 51 passes for 779 yards in his time as a receiver, but his effect went well beyond the numbers.
The Houston Oilers selected Tasker in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft. In November of 1986, he was signed off waivers by the Bills after only nine games with the Oilers. Tasker went on to make seven Pro Bowl appearances and was the first and only special teams player to win the Pro Bowl MVP award, which he did in 1993.
Tasker was a five-time All-Pro who revolutionized the position of “gunner.” On the NFL Network special Top Ten Players Not In The Hall Of Fame, he was ranked ninth.
