Archives for February 1, 2009

‘His abilities were no surprise to the team that drafted him. At Virginia Tech, Smith had 46 career sacks and 71 tackles for loss in earning All-America honors and the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best lineman.’

‘Wilson, at first a minority owner in the Detroit Lions, joined six others to found the AFL in 1960. Determined to see the league stay in business, he financially backed other franchises with loans and outright gifts.’

‘New Pro Football Hall of Famer Bruce Smith and the Buffalo Bills could never get over the hump in four Super Bowls. New Hall of Famer Rod Woodson and the Pittsburgh Steelers could never get over the hump against Bruce Smith.’

‘The problem I have with Reed being kept out is that all of the other great Bills are going in. Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Marv Levy, Thurman Thomas and Ralph Wilson are now all Hall of Famers. I’m not sure how you can put all of those outstanding Bills in and keep out Reed.’

‘Reed retired with what appeared to be slam-dunk credentials, but as passing offenses became increasingly prolific, Reed’s numbers slid down the chart. The fact he retired with fewer than 1,000 career catches could hurt him.’

‘He remembered his father, a man who labored for minimum wage but taught his son to strive for greatness. “He wanted me to have a life better than he had for himself,” Smith said, his voice cracking. “I just wish he was with me.”‘

‘Ralph C. Wilson has long been one of the most influential NFL owners, and the man perhaps most responsible for standing up for the smaller markets, convincing the larger market owners that a well-balanced NFL is the key to the league’s overall success. His foresight has more than paid off, and at long last, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. has been recognized for a long and distinguished role as an NFL contributor; a role he will continue.’

‘Due to my role as host of the Jim Kelly Show during Smith’s playing days in Buffalo, I had the chance to know Smith on a personal level from sharing dinner after a show from time to time, and that gives me a far different perspective on Bruce than many other members of the media might have. Bruce was an extremely confident, and many would say selfish athlete who wouldn’t go much out of his way for the media, or anybody else for that matter. To me, a lot of that was because Smith was distrustful of people, and he actually possesses a very likeable and fun-loving personality. He and Kelly, for example, would needle each other constantly during dinner or before or after one of our shows, but they had a mutual respect and bond that was essential to the Bills great success.’

‘”You have to have consistency in a franchise,” Wilson said. “People become attached to a franchise. They take their children to the games. So many people across the country that I’ve met say, ‘My father used to take me to the games at old War Memorial Stadium.’ People become attached to a team. It gives them a quality of life.”‘

‘The Bills and Titans — formerly the Houston Oilers — were two of the original eight members of the AFL when the league played its first season in 1960, ten years before the rival leagues merged.’