thunderingsquid Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 16 hours ago, Limeaid said: He was not just a punter but a terrific athlete. Not only that he did a lot for children in WNY. Met Moorman too. Such a class guy, he talked with my then 5 year old son for a while, was genuinely interested in the fans at Fisher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyBatty is alive Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Ronnie Vinklarek was a Bills Offensive line coach 2002-2004. Called me up out of the clear blue one day tried to buy some property off me, normally the type of call i hang up on but immediately starting talking about his playing/coaching days and being on the bills. Rather entertaining entrepreneurial guy, he owns a company called All American Ranch Sales. If I ever sell i wlil give him a call. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJBobby Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 (edited) Shaud Williams. Matt Liehnart to name a few Edited July 9, 2019 by MAJBobby 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boatdrinks Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Don Smith ( ended up scoring Bills first ever SB touchdown ) before Paul Maguire Budweiser sportsline show in Sept 1990 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crabby116 Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 20 hours ago, BillyWhiteShows said: Hopefully you didn’t bring up “the incident!” No didn't bring up the incident. But lets be real who here hasn't been caught in a tree outside some womans house getting in a good forearm workout. It happens to the best of us. OK some of us. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwhit34 Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 Tom Sherman. In 1970 the players were on strike briefly during training camp. I was 8 years old, and the vets, including OJ and Paul Maguire, were working out on their own at ECC North. Sherman was a backup QB in 1969, was 2-2 passing and ran the ball twice that year. He was there working out. We went up there almost every day for about a week. After their practice, we were getting autographs and we couldn't find my younger (5 year old) brother. About 30 seconds after realizing he wasn't with us, here comes Tom Sherman carrying my brother. He was very nice, was happy to reunite us. I don't know if he made the team that year. The other thing I remember about those workouts is we were there on a Wednesday and they got done and Maguire says to a bunch of us, "hey you want to learn how to punt? Come back here at 7 tonight." We did, he showed up and put on a punting clinic. Maguire did some promotional work for our company about 8-9 years ago and I told him the story, he had some funny stories to tell about that strike year. Funny how you remember stuff like that almost 50 years later...impressionable youth. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Otreply Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 On 7/8/2019 at 3:39 PM, Buffalo716 said: How do you know they are the same people??? IP address. Go Bills!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo716 Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 1 minute ago, Don Otreply said: IP address. Go Bills!! Don't cell phones share IP addresses and reset? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil The Thrill Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 3 hours ago, MAJBobby said: Shaud Williams. Matt Liehnart to name a few How was Leinert 3 hours ago, Boatdrinks said: Don Smith ( ended up scoring Bills first ever SB touchdown ) before Paul Maguire Budweiser sportsline show in Sept 1990 Don Smith....great choice Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimKellyTryouts Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 On 7/8/2019 at 3:19 PM, NickelCity said: Trent Edwards. Have spoken at length a number of times about his experiences with the Bills. What all did he say? The ending of his career here was pretty ugly (TC insults and Chan getting involved, abruptly cut midseason, etc.) so it wouldn't surprise me if it left a bitter taste in his mouth - or at least a combo of that along with being professional and saying how he enjoyed it here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreggTX Posted July 9, 2019 Share Posted July 9, 2019 (edited) Safety Manny Martin. He had a 2-pick game vs Aikman in Buffalo after the SB's, but when our D was still good. Edited July 9, 2019 by GreggTX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAJBobby Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 15 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said: How was Leinert Don Smith....great choice Leinhert wasn’t bad. But you could tell by that Point in his career he was humbled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Hindsight Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Met Coy Wire and Travis Henry at some autograph signing in Rochester. Henry couldnt be bothered to talk but Coy Wire was a super nice guy. Talked to my brother and I about playing in the snow game against the dolphins when Ricky Williams rushed for 200+ yards but the Bills won. I was at it and it was the snow colts game before social media 2002/2003 maybe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thenorthremembers Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 J.D. Williams and Keith McKeller at an autograph signing at Eastern Hills Mall when I was about eight. I held out my hand to shake hands with them but they were a little busy talking to the two blonde ladies behind me in line. That one has always stuck with me. Marvcus Patton did a speaking engagement for my church when I was around 11. My Grandmother kept bugging me to go ask for his autograph before the event. I told her he was signing afterwards, so she pushed me up to him anyways. I asked, he said I am signing for everyone after I speak. He wasnt a bad guy my Grandmother was just being grandmotherly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 I might have met Billy Joe Hobert, but I never looked at a team roster or team picture to see if it was really him... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teef Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 although i didn't talk to him, i did sit in the same row as tom donahoe at a graduation. my brother and his daughter graduated from the simon business school at the same time, and there he was, white hair glistening in the lighting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ennjay Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Several hundred years ago: Ike Hill was our substitute gym teacher at Bennett. This was in the days when players had to get jobs in the off season and training camp was about getting back into shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil The Thrill Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 1 hour ago, MAJBobby said: Leinhert wasn’t bad. But you could tell by that Point in his career he was humbled. That is what Fairburn and Joe B said too. I believe he told Reggie Bush after a preseason game in Detroit that he sucked and knew the end was near Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabel Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) I saw Siran Neal at Walmart a couple of weeks ago. About ten years ago I ran into Marshawn Lynch at the same Walmart. I know he's not obscure but it was an interesting encounter because he said we should all be Raiders fans. You could tell then that he really wanted to be back in California. It was the same week Jauron got fired and when I asked him about it he just shrugged and said, "Hopefully it's for the best, man, I dunno really what's going on." He's a monster of a dude in person. If you didn't know he was a RB you would think he played LB just by his size. I also have a good friend who's grandfather was president of the Bills Backers for 30+ years, starting sometime in the late 60s/early 70s. He has stories his granddad has passed on about having dinner parties with players such as OJ, Ferguson, Smerlas, etc. He has a lot of unique memorabilia from him as well. He's been working on a project to collect a signature from every player that's ever been on a game day roster. He has a ton from the early years all the way up through the mid-90's (and then the ones he's collected since he was a kid until now) which is I believe when his grandfather retired as the Bills Backers president. I've seen some of his collection and there are definitely tons of obscure signatures from names that no one probably remembers. Edited July 10, 2019 by blacklabel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Lombardi Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Rod Hill, a cornerback who had been a first round draft choice by Dallas in the early 80's. (After a year or two, Dallas traded him to the Bills.) Met him in a bar in Middleport, NY. (Jim Haslett owned property nearby and was often seen around the area with other Bills in tow.) Very quiet demeanor and he seemed too thin for an NFL player, at any position. He asked me for a cigarette because he was trying to quit and didn't want to buy a full pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevewin Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) In the 80s I met Darryl Talley at the Brick Bar - think it was after his rookie year he was still kind of obscure at that time. It was a very memorable night - my last night in town before going off to Boca Raton Fl for my first college internship. Other luminaries that were there that night included the Earl of Bud ("You got one!"), also the guy who used to play trumpet on the bar caught fire. Those were the days. Matt Kofler used to be married to a girl I went to high school with - had some drinks with him once long ago. He had some stories - Ben "Baby" Williams was a favorite of his. In the category of not obscure player but obscure way to meet - back in the mid 90s I used to live across the street from the golf course(s) that the annual Jimmy V Celebrity Golf tournament used to be held. One year it was like 100 degrees and I was was a spectator and I saw James Lofton on one of the holes. I told my wife "I'm going to run home and get our camera to get a picture with him" - so I took off running, and soon realized it was very hot, and a lot longer than I thought. I had to hurry though because it was getting late and they were winding up. So by the time I get back to the tee were Lofton was I was a heaving, sweating mess. I'll never forget the look of horror/confusion as I approached him on the tee - I'm pretty sure he started gripping his club a bit tighter just in case he needed to use it in his defense against me. When I got to him I breathlessly blurted out "JamesIusedtowatchyouatRichStadiumCanIhaveapicureGoBills!!!" He was very nice, and took the picture - not sure if he thought maybe I was a "slow adult". Edited July 10, 2019 by stevewin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tboy79 Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) Bruce Smith (he's not an obscure player but the way I went about meeting him that day was) - The Thursday after week two last year. I was on the driving range at my club and two guys pulled up to me. The passenger asked "Hey man, do you know where #10 tee is at" and I was thinking "HOllY @*$&(! Bruce Smith is asking me where #10 is" I replied "I'll take you there IF you promise to come back and play for my Bills again" He laughed. Said "this dog don't hunt" and went on to say he thinks the Bills would be fine in the long run. Likes the coaching and the young qb (JA). Looking back he was pretty spot on especially the way they showed up week 3 against the Vikings. Oh, the other guy he was with was dale curry. Pretty cool day. He also signed a score card for me even though I don't like to ask another grown man for his autograph I told him I had his poster on my wall as a kid and needed to make an exception. Edited July 10, 2019 by Tboy79 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuvian Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 On 7/8/2019 at 5:55 PM, Kwai San said: I did meet John Wayne Bobbit of the Dismembered ***** Fame once outside a Bills game - I have a pix laying around somewheres.....I know not a Bill but funny he was outside a Bills game and he def had only a small window of 15 minute fame..... I hope you got an autographed dick pick 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepthefaith Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 (edited) O.J. Simpson. He was in obscurity for years. Actually a guy who was a WR or DB on the '87 strike team. Can't recall his name, very obscure. Played in an indoor football league on his team in about '93 in Buffalo. Dude was an amazing athlete (compared to the rest of us). Edited July 11, 2019 by keepthefaith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plano Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Jerry Ostroski---A former O-lineman for our Bills. My dad and I were at a bbq restaurant and we see this absolute "WALL" of a human having lunch, wearing a bills cap, we say go Bills! And he says hey kid, come here, introduces himself as Jerry Ostroski--a current bills player-- and we take a photo with him and he signed a piece of paper for us. He said he protects the Quarterback (JK at the time), pretty cool. I wasn't as good with faces and what not as I am now, but I remember him being a gigantic human being and very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
formerlyofCtown Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 When I was in high school I had a night job as a cleaner at Thomas&Betts. One of the other employees told me he was drafted by the Bills but got his ankle destroyed in TC. I dont remember his name but I do remember he was a DB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCOrange Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Tory Woodbury. I remember playing with him in old Madden games and then he ended up in Bills training camp one year and I basically just went and hung out with him while everyone else was pursuing the notable players for autographs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaccof Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Julian Nunamaker - this was the fall of 1971 and my parents were building a house so we lived in an apt and Nunamaker lived across the hall. My parents gave him one of those footballs with two white panels which he took to practice and got many of the team to sign including OJ and Al Cowlings.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 7 minutes ago, chaccof said: Julian Nunamaker... Although I probably never would have said that if asked to name an ex-Bill, when you hear it you immediately say “what a great name!” ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbb Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I haven't checked all the names in the thread but I doubt anybody has Dudley Meredith. He actually lived on my street when he played for the Bills. I remember him sitting in my living room on Halloween, talking to us. Per his info, I was either 4, 5 or 6 years old: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MereDu20.htm 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhoTom Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 My great aunt knows Shane Conlan's family. I think she met him once or twice, too. She lives in Frewsburg NY, Shane's home town, and she went nuts when the Bills drafted him. She's 96 now, and still a fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Senator Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Chris Keating. Signed by Bills as UDFA in 1979, played LB alongside Jim Haslett from ‘79-‘85. Met him in the late ‘80’s at the wedding of a friend who was buddies with Keating at University of Maine. We talked Bills for a good long while, over several drinks. Great guy. . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YodaMan79 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Darryl Wren. He was one of the guys that played in the charity basketball games against the teachers in your school. I remember him being really nice and signing everything. John Fina and Phil Hansen were there, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffalo716 Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 I met this loud , cheerful guy who boasted that we were going to the playoffs And I believed him Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevWarRifleman Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Oohhhhhh there's so many of them! Tony Hunter? Ed Wang? The list is endless. Too many for me to have the time to list. But I'll enjoy what's been posted already I'm sure of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevWarRifleman Posted July 11, 2019 Share Posted July 11, 2019 Who was the linebacker ( I believe he was an LB) that chose to live in Toronto and commute in to Buffalo? I think it was during the Mile Mularky-coached era? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macaroni Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 Back in the days I worked at Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale I had a buddy/co-worker named Mike Tolliver. He was a "smallish" guy maybe 175 - 180 pounds. One day we were on a business trip to DC and at a restaurant eating dinner, he reached across the table and I noticed a particularly blinged out watch, when I commented on it he said that's the watch they gave him for playing in some bowl game (I don't remember which one). I said that I never suspected he was a football player. As it turns out he was a decent WR out of Stanford. I asked him if he ever considered pro ball and he said as a matter of fact he was drafted by the Cowboys, but ended up as one of their final cuts, the next year he was invited to camp by the Bills, but decided football wasn't the life for him about halfway through camp, and gave it up. I asked what had turned him off of football and he laughed and said that he had played football his entire life and the guys in the locker room were his point of reference, he never realized he was small. Once he was cut from the Cowboys he came to Lockheed Martin to work as an intern for a year and his point of reference as to average body size got readjusted to us mere mortals. When he reported to the Bills his first thought was these guys are the biggest human beings on the face of the earth … a small guy like me could get killed so he chose a cushy life as a Lockheed Martin engineer. I asked if he had any regrets and he said he is satisfied with his decision about 98% of the time, but occasionally he'll be watching a game on TV and see somebody he played with/against and think DAMN I was a heck of a lot better than him … I wonder what could have been … but it passes. We both had a good laugh and ordered another beer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bullpen Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 On 7/8/2019 at 2:01 PM, Rocket94 said: I met Jeff Nixon in the summer of 1987. He was selling pools that year. He seemed surprised that I remembered him leading the league in interceptions before an injury took him down years earlier...good guy. Met Jeff at at Hills Department Store promo way back in the day when I was kid. It was one of those meet and greets, sign a picture deal. He was the reason I always tried to get #38 in sports as a kid. (didn't work out so much with youth baseball) On 7/8/2019 at 11:45 AM, BillyWhiteShows said: Mark Maddox - Met this dude over at the old Rainbow Mall in Niagara Falls. It must have been 1991 or 1992 because I remember there were actually stores open! Including a Trench outlet store! He was injured and on crutches but very nice and friendly. It was an autograph signing and there must have been about 10 people in line but it didn’t seem to get him down. Very cool guy Met Mark while shooting photos on the sideline of a preseason game between Houston and the Bills in the Alamodome in San Antone. You're right, super nice guy and really down to earth. This also happened to be time Bruce and Phil Hansen borrowed my camera and zoom lens to scope out the Oilers cheerleaders on the opposite sideline. Interviewed Greg Cater back in 1983 for a mock television program during a kids summer program at SUNY Fredonia. Another fantastic guy with the best southern slang terms 12 y/o me had ever heard. I he was wearing sandals during the interview and I remember being freaked out at the blood blisters on his kicking toe. Knew Bryce Fisher when he was at the Air Force Academy. Spent some time with him and saw him in a couple bars in the local area before he reported to Bills camp back in WNY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocket94 Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 1 hour ago, Bullpen said: Met Jeff at at Hills Department Store promo way back in the day when I was kid. It was one of those meet and greets, sign a picture deal. He was the reason I always tried to get #38 in sports as a kid. (didn't work out so much with youth baseball) Met Mark while shooting photos on the sideline of a preseason game between Houston and the Bills in the Alamodome in San Antone. You're right, super nice guy and really down to earth. This also happened to be time Bruce and Phil Hansen borrowed my camera and zoom lens to scope out the Oilers cheerleaders on the opposite sideline. Interviewed Greg Cater back in 1983 for a mock television program during a kids summer program at SUNY Fredonia. Another fantastic guy with the best southern slang terms 12 y/o me had ever heard. I he was wearing sandals during the interview and I remember being freaked out at the blood blisters on his kicking toe. Knew Bryce Fisher when he was at the Air Force Academy. Spent some time with him and saw him in a couple bars in the local area before he reported to Bills camp back in WNY. Yes...Jeff Nixon is a great guy. I was at a BBq party and he was overseeing a pool installation. I was the only person that recognized him. This was probably a few months before the Bills made the Cornelius Bennett move. I used to see Ken Jones around too. He worked for a major chain. We talked football on a few occasions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewaycynic2013 Posted July 12, 2019 Share Posted July 12, 2019 21 hours ago, Buffalo716 said: I met this loud , cheerful guy who boasted that we were going to the playoffs And I believed him Did you go with him to get a guddam snack? On 7/10/2019 at 10:46 PM, keepthefaith said: O.J. Simpson. He was in obscurity for years. He was not in obscurity. He was in Lovelock Correctional Center. (I wonder if I make it onto his Twitter account?...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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