Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills started off the decade slowly, but they won the East Division every season from 1963 to 1966, and won the AFL Championship in ’64 and ’65. In 1966 they lost the AFL final to the Chiefs, who went on to play in Super Bowl I. 

 

Jack Kemp was acquired from the Chargers in 1962. He made the AFL All-Star team every season from 1960-69, except for missing the entire 1968 season due to injury. Curiously, for all those awards, he never led the league in any passing category. There was always Len Dawson or someone else ahead of him. (Next week’s Denver Broncos post will be a good time to look at the top AFL quarterbacks, as none of them ever played for Denver.) 

 

Tom Flores was the Raiders’ starting QB for much of 1960-66, then was traded to the Bills in the Daryle Lamonica deal. He sat behind Kemp for his final 3 seasons in the league. (It’s surprising that the Bills didn’t use Flores in 1968, during Kemp’s absence.) 

 

Keith Lincoln was the Chargers’ 2nd-round pick in 1961, and was their starting fullback for most of 1961-66. He started 13 games at halfback for the Bills in 1967 (making his 5th and final All-Star game) then returned to San Diego midway through 1968. 

 

Wray Carlton was the Eagles’ 3rd-round pick in 1959, but never played for them. He played for the Bills from 1960-67, and was their starting halfback or fullback every season but ’63 and ’64, missing all but 4 games in those 2 seasons. He made the All-Star team in ’65 and ’66, and led the AFL with 6 rushing TDs in 1965. 

 

*Elbert Dubenion was a 14th-round pick for the Browns in 1959, but did not play for them. He was the Bills’ starting flanker every season from 1960-67, except for missing all but 3 games in 1965. He only missed 2 other games in that 8-year span. Elbert finished his career with 4 games for the Bills in 1968, but had no catches. 

 

Art Powell was one of the top 4 wide receivers in the AFL’s early days (along with Don Maynard, Lance Alworth, and Lionel Taylor). Drafted by the Eagles in 1959, he was a backup defensive back for them in his rookie season, then joined the New York Titans in 1960. Powell was his team’s starting split end in every game for the next 7 seasons (3 with the Titans, 4 with the Raiders). 

 

Powell led the AFL in receiving yards in ’62 and ’63, and in receiving TDs in ’60 and ’63. He also made the AFL All-Star team every year from 1963-66, and was named first-team Al-Pro in ’60 and ’63. Powell came to the Bills in 1967 in the Lamonica-for-Flores trade, and played in 6 games (all starts) that season. In 1968 he played 1 game for the Vikings.

 

*Billy Shaw was the Bills’ #2 pick in 1961, and was their starting left guard for his entire career (9 seasons). He made the All-Star team in all but his rookie season, and was named first-team All-Pro from 1962-66. Shaw was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. 

 

Stew Barber was a 4th-round pick in 1961. He started half the games at linebacker as a rookie, then moved to offense in 1962, where he was the Bills’ starting left tackle until retiring after the 1969 season. He made 5 All-Star teams and was named first-team All-Pro twice. 

 

*Dick Hudson was drafted in the 2nd round by the Chargers in 1962. After playing guard as a rookie, he moved to the Bills and after playing only 2 games in 1963, he started at right tackle for all 50 games he played from 1964-67. 

 

Ron McDole was drafted by the Broncos and Cardinals in 1961. After playing offensive tackle for the Cardinals as a rookie, he joined the Oilers in 1962 and switched to defensive end. After just one season in Houston, McDole joined the Bills in 1963. 

 

He played 12 games (no starts) in his first season there, then from 1964 to 1977 he was his team’s starting left defensive end, playing in all but 1 game in that 14-year span, while starting all but 3 games. From 1965-67 he made either the All-Star team or first-team All-Pro. After the 1970 season, George Allen brought McDole to the Redskins, where he continued through the 1978 season, starting 10 of 16 games in his final year. 

 

*Jim Dunaway was the Bills’ 2nd-round pick n 1963. He was their starting left defensive tackle for the next 9 seasons, playing every game while starting all but 12. He was an All-Star from 1965-68. In his final season (1972) he played for the Dolphins. 

 

*Tom Sestak – Selected in the 17th round in 1962, Sestak was the Bills’ starting right defensive tackle for his entire career (1963-68). He was named to the All-Star team in his first 4 seasons, and made first-team All-Pro in 3 of them. 

 

*Harry Jacobs was drafted by the Lions in 1959, but did not play for them. He was the Patriots’ middle linebacker for their first 2 seasons, then was a backup player in 1962. He joined the Bills in 1963 and was their starting middle linebacker from 1963-69. He finished up with the Saints in 1970.

 

*Mike Stratton – A 13th-round pick in 1962, Stratton was the Bills’ starting right linebacker from 1962-72, although he missed a number of games in ’70 and ’71. He was an All-Star every year from 1963-68, and was first-team All-Pro 3 times in that span. He finished his career in 1973 with the Chargers. 

 

George Saimes – The Chiefs’ 6th-round pick in 1963, Saimes was the Bills’ starting free safety from 1963-69, making the All-Star team 5 times while being named first-team All-Pro 3 times. He also played for the Broncos from 1970-72, and was their starting free safety in 1971. 

 

 

*Unknown to me before November 2023 

 

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