JohnC Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Back in the 1060's, most players all had class and character, most were blue collar guys who played football for a living in the fall. Marty Schottenheimer played the card game Uecker at one of the local Taverns in Tonawanda, my father often played against him in tournaments. The players were very outgoing and respected the Buffalo area taking pride playing for the Bills. Al Bemiller the center for the Bills worked at the Boys Club on the West Side (Butler Michell Boys Club) during the offseason. I was teasing him one time when he had enough and picked me up. He carried me to the showers with my clothes on and turned the water on. He jokingly said something to the effect that this will cool you off. He was a good natured guy who even the neighborhood toughs liked him and wouldn't dare mess with him. If I recall correctly long after his career was over he was involved with providing security at the stadium during game day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Formerly Allan in MD Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 went to one of those pre-season games and came home thinking Byrd and Gogolak should be cut (Pete must have missed a field goal) Thank goodness our judgments aren't based on one game. I like the idea that he was a cornerback in a linebacker's body. He was great to watch. I think the other CB was Charley "Pork Chop" Warner. And....the defensive line of Tom Day, Tom Sestack, Jim Dunaway and Ron McDole was pretty intimidating as weas the linebacking corps of Tracey, Jacobs and Stratton. That was a terrific defense. Byrd is definitely one of the most outstanding Bills. Darby is terrific and he keeps reminding folks of Byrd he is in for a great career! Sestak was so good that I recall being told back then that while in college, he was not allowed to scrimmage against the first team offense because they were afraid he'd injure key teammates He used to hang out at Kohl's on Elmwood on Friday nights just sitting at the bar talking with the fans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klos63 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I still get agita even thinking about that play. Those that didn't live it probably can't relate to our Miami rivalry when we went 0 for the 70s against that team. It's much like NE's**** recent dominance against us, but with ZERO wins to show for it. The Greene interception you recall was made while he was playing free safety. He intercepted that ball eight yards deep in his own end zone and proceeded to return it 108 yards for a TD. No flag was thrown until he had reached the opposite endzone and BAM!, there it lay, a phantom phuck-you from the football gods. I'd like to one day see him join Robert James on the Wall of Fame. He was one of the best players, regardless of position, to ever lace 'em up for us. GO BILLS!!! I'm pretty sure the penalty was called on James, Greene barely made it to the end zone ,he was exhausted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Slight quibble, but Clarke was paired with Saimes at safety starting in '65. Byrd and Edgerson played CB on the '64 and '65 teams. Janik didn't crack the lineup until '66 when he replaced Edgerson at CB. I don't think Janik ever played safety and I'm pretty sure Clarke never played CB. I understand how all those players from teams so long ago seem to blend together over time, though. GO BILLS!!! Janik was always a Safety. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Janik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-9 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Janik was always a Safety. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Janik That's interesting, because I still have the mimeographed play by play sheets from several games back then (Bills plays in blue, opponents in red) and the lineups list Janik at CB in 1966, with Byrd on the other side and Saimes and Clarke at safety. Pro Football Reference has Janik at CB as well in '66. In digging out the game sheets from the '68 Jets game at War Memorial, I see Janik was at safety when he had that big day against Namath. Is it possible he moved from CB to safety after '66 then? Like I said, it's easy to get things jumbled up from that long ago. Bottom line, he was a terrific player in a great secondary on one of the all time great defenses. That's all I need to know for certain. GO BILLS!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Augie Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I'm impressed! I have no mimeographed information that the world...... existed prior to this moment! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chandler#81 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 That's interesting, because I still have the mimeographed play by play sheets from several games back then (Bills plays in blue, opponents in red) and the lineups list Janik at CB in 1966, with Byrd on the other side and Saimes and Clarke at safety. Pro Football Reference has Janik at CB as well in '66. In digging out the game sheets from the '68 Jets game at War Memorial, I see Janik was at safety when he had that big day against Namath. Is it possible he moved from CB to safety after '66 then? Like I said, it's easy to get things jumbled up from that long ago. Bottom line, he was a terrific player in a great secondary on one of the all time great defenses. That's all I need to know for certain. GO BILLS!!! I'm with on you on the last line. References have been known to be wrong occasionally. Then again, obviously, I'm old -and memory becomes an issue.. Go Bills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dwight in philly Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I'm with on you on the last line. References have been known to be wrong occasionally. Then again, obviously, I'm old -and memory becomes an issue.. Go Bills! i hear ya about being old, i can recite lots of "chapter and verse" about the bills going back to1960, but cant remember where i put my car keys sometimes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machine gun kelly Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Al Bemiller the center for the Bills worked at the Boys Club on the West Side (Butler Michell Boys Club) during the offseason. I was teasing him one time when he had enough and picked me up. He carried me to the showers with my clothes on and turned the water on. He jokingly said something to the effect that this will cool you off. He was a good natured guy who even the neighborhood toughs liked him and wouldn't dare mess with him. If I recall correctly long after his career was over he was involved with providing security at the stadium during game day. God you guys are old! Just kidding. I was born in 67 so Byrd was before my time. I do know Bemiler as he was my wrestling coach my freshmen and sophmore years. A very nice man and a good coach. I appreciate the nostalgia though as I don't know that much of the 60's Bills other than the common stuff like Cookie, Al, Kemp and their championship years. I heard Saban was a hell of a coach, but pissed off Ralph. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloBillsForever Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Can I just say again how awesome Ronald Darby is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigK14094 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 I too was around in those great days.....saw Butch Byrd play in the old rockpile......I was in my teens.....and my Dad used to occasionally get the company tickets and would take me. Later, I went off to college in Troy NY, and, off season, I used to see Butch's tricked up car with all his decals...he was from Waterveliet across the rive from Troy. So, he was a "local" in the sense he was from NYS. I thought Butch was very important to the Bills teams of that era, he was that big play capable cornerback that occasionally got the pick 6. We have good CB's now.....including G, M, and Darby. But, none has yet shown that kind of big play outcome on a regular basis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnC Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 God you guys are old! Just kidding. I was born in 67 so Byrd was before my time. I do know Bemiler as he was my wrestling coach my freshmen and sophmore years. A very nice man and a good coach. I appreciate the nostalgia though as I don't know that much of the 60's Bills other than the common stuff like Cookie, Al, Kemp and their championship years. I heard Saban was a hell of a coach, but pissed off Ralph. What school did Al Bemiller coach wrestling at? What I remember about him is that although he would be considered small by today's standards he moved very well on the basketball court for a man of his size. As you stated he was a very nice man and was well grounded. Having to work outside of their game allowed them to be more in touch with the real world and not become aloof from the realities of life others were subjected to. Joe Delamilleure believed that wrestllng was one of the best preparations for being an offensive lineman. He explained that it taught athletes how to use leverage and good footwork in matchups against the opposition..On WGR he said that he didn't think that Kujo had the necessary skills of good feet and adequate athleticism to be a success. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tennesseeboy Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 I remember in the summer of 65 hitchhiking out to the lake with my little brother and had my football jersey on, when a guy in a Cadillac convertible picked us up to give us a ride. Elbert Dubenion. Great guy and we appreciated the lift! My number on the jersey was the same as Cookie Gilchrist's (34) and he got a kick out telling Cookie stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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