The Pro Football Hall of Fame is arguably one of the prestigious recognition platforms one can boast of so far as Professional American Football is concerned. The platform seeks to idolize outstanding personalities either directly or indirectly involved with the Professional American Football sport.
As it stands now, 346 people can boast of being members of the Hall of Fame. Members are handed exquisite gold jackets during the induction ceremony and as a result, they are referred to as “Gold Jackets”. On average, six inductees are introduced every year to the Hall. The most recent, which is the class of 2020 saw a whooping 15-member addition.
Buffalo Bills, as of 2016, can boast of having a 13 member representation in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 10 of which contributed significantly to Buffalo Bills. Then there is James Lofton and two other assistant coaches. Their names are below;
O. J. Simpson
Held the position as the running back in the 1985 class and played between the years 1969 and 1977. With a total of 14,368 combined net yards, 990 yards kickoff returns, 203 receptions, and 11,236 yards rushing, O.J won for himself 4 NFL rushing titles. Won the Heisman trophy in 1968
Billy Shaw
Billy belonged to the 1999 class, played for 8 years as an offensive guard (1961-1969). Holds the record as a two-way collegiate player to be drafted by Cowboys(NFL) and Bills(AFL). He was a critical force that drove the offensive unit that led Buffalo to a two-year consecutive championship in the years 1964 and 1965. He was the first player to spend his entire career in AFL to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Marv Levy
Holds the record for 4 consecutive Super Bowl appearances, was the AFC coach of the year in 1988, 1993, 1995, and holds a 154-120-0 overall record. Mark served as the Coach (General Manager) from 1986 to 1987 the from 2006 to 2007. He designed the high-powered “No Huddle” offense.
Jim Kelly
2002 year group, quarterback, played for 10 years (1986-1996). Jim’s career stats; 25,467 yards, 237 Touchdowns, 84.4 Passer rating, led NFL with a 101.2 rating in 1990. He became Master of the “No Huddle” offense as he led Buffalo to 8 postseasons berths, starting QB in a record of 4 straight AFC Championships and Super Bowls.
James Lofton
Lofton, who played the position as a Wide Receiver was the first NFL player to score a Touchdown in the 1970s through to the 1990s. For 16 seasons, he recorded 764 passes for 14,004 yards. Has to his credit 8 Pro Bowls. He played from 1989 to 1992.
Joe DeLamielleure
Best known as the lead blocker for O.J, NFL’s first-ever 2,000-yard rusher, played in 185 consecutive games. Joe made 6 Pro Bowls and had a significant impact on Cleveland Browns. Joe was an Offensive Guard and played from 1973-1979, then in 1985.
Thurman Thomas
For 11 years (1988-1989), Thomas played as the Running Back. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. He rushed for 1,000 yards in 8 consecutive seasons and has to his credit 5 straight Pro-Bowls. Thomas’s career numbers read; 12,074 yards rushing and 16,532 all-purpose yards. He was crowned NFL’s most valuable player in the year 199 and led NFL in total a record of 4 consecutive seasons.
Ralph Wilson
Ralph Wilson was the legitimate owner in the American Football League. During his tenure as owner of Bills, the team won 2 AFL Championships and an impressive 4 straight AFC championships. Sparked a conversation with Carroll Rosenbloom that eventually resulted in the AFL-NFL merger.
Bruce Smith
Bruce was considered one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history. In the years 1990 and 1996, he was awarded the NFL Defensive player. Got called up to either the 1st or 2nd team ALL-PRO for 11 good times. Holds a record of 13 NFL seasons and was inducted in 2009. He had a career span from 1985 to 1999
Jim Ringo
All-Pro before Packers dynasty years. Has to his credit a record of 10 Pro Bowls, three NFL championship games. An outstanding down-field blocker and a pass protector. Started 182 straight games. He first served from 1976 to 1977, took a break then came back to serve again from 1985 to 1988 making a total of 4 years. Jim served in the capacity of the Coach(Off. Coordinator) and got inducted in the year 1981.
Dick LeBeau
Dick was the assistant head coach in the year 2003 and got inducted in the year 2010. During his tenure, he was voted to three consecutive Pro Bowls. NFC-leading nine interceptions, in the year 1970. Dick can boast of a total of 62 career interceptions for 762 yards and three touchdowns. Holds a record of running 12 solid seasons with three or more interceptions.
Andre Reed
His 941 career receptions rank as third all-time at the time of his retirement. Reed’s career stats recorded 13,198 receiving yards, Seven Pro Bowls, and 13 seasons with 50-plus receptions that adjudged him second, right behind Jerry Rice. He was inducted in 2014. Held the position as Wide Receiver for 14 good years(1985–1999)
Bill Polian
The latest inductee to have come from Bills which happened in the year 2015. Bill served as the Personnel Director and doubled as the General Manager. He Guided Buffalo to four straight division titles and three Super Bowl berths. He again led Carolina to the NFC championship in just the second season. Made two Super Bowl appearances and was named NFL’s Executive of Year by The Sporting News six times
