Jump to content

WNY Homegrown Talent Who Knew ?


Recommended Posts

I never knew there were so many NFL players that came from the western NY area of course we've all heard about Gronk & Jaws but i never had a clue about just how many were from the Bills region I hope you a ll find this as cool as i did & if this has already been a post for give me for the reposting ! 

 

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/homegrown-legends-best-nfl-players-from-buffalo-western-new-york/

  • Like (+1) 1
  • Thank you (+1) 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn’t know Christie was from Ontario, but he lives down here now.  (Rather not sure where for his privacy)  He comes to the best Bills bar in Tampa from time to time in Brandon.  I met his family in the 2019 season and were very gracious.

 

Master, thanks for sharing and I don’t believe there was another thread from here, but the mods would know.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fun list - thanks for posting it. I am a little surprised that Roland William's is not on the list. He is from Rochester and was a standout at Syracuse University. He played tight end for the Rams in the NFL & was the starting TE for the Rams on their Super Bowl XXXIV winning team. 

  • Like (+1) 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

 

#44 Marv Hubbard from Randolph pro bowl FB for the John Madden Raiders from 69-75. Legend on NFL films for rivalry with Chiefs. Still has one of the highest avg yards per carry in NFL history. 
 

Chuck Christ Salamanca played for Giants,49ers, and was pro bowl S for Saints. Early to late 70’s. Played basketball at Penn St then FA made the Giants and had 7-8 year career. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

I didn’t know Christie was from Ontario, but he lives down here now.  (Rather not sure where for his privacy)  He comes to the best Bills bar in Tampa from time to time in Brandon.  I met his family in the 2019 season and were very gracious.

 

Master, thanks for sharing and I don’t believe there was another thread from here, but the mods would know.

 

MGK....whats the name of this bar???

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, T master said:

I never knew there were so many NFL players that came from the western NY area of course we've all heard about Gronk & Jaws but i never had a clue about just how many were from the Bills region I hope you a ll find this as cool as i did & if this has already been a post for give me for the reposting ! 

 

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/homegrown-legends-best-nfl-players-from-buffalo-western-new-york/

Thanks.. nice read.. interesting.. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I knew a lot of them but surprisingly didn't know about Conlan.

 

We don't get many great players from my area, so it was big news in Chautauqua County at the time. He is from Frewsburg. 

 

(The other big news was when we got the Bills' TC in Fredonia in the early 80's. The newspaper reported when Bills players were spotted in the local restaurant, and when Bruce Smith was seen moving into the dorms carrying an air conditioner, lol!)

Edited by chongli
  • Haha (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

great info, sure Erie, Syracuse and Ont stretch the demographic market area (DMA) somewhat, but by way of comparison, living in suburban Wash DC (NoVA) I did a lookup of the local team and found several representatives from areas over 200+ miles away, included is one Quinton Spain ?  former Bill cut who made the list for the Wash Football Team, I guess we are not talking all-star level but alive and breathing in some positions...SMH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/1/2021 at 9:25 AM, T master said:

I never knew there were so many NFL players that came from the western NY area of course we've all heard about Gronk & Jaws but i never had a clue about just how many were from the Bills region I hope you a ll find this as cool as i did & if this has already been a post for give me for the reposting ! 

 

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/homegrown-legends-best-nfl-players-from-buffalo-western-new-york/

That was a fun read, thanks for posting. I would also give an honorable mention to Niagara Falls' own James Starks at RB. Fun fact: He, Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris were all on the same NYS championship basketball team at Niagara Falls High School.

 

  • Agree 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Browns center and NFLPA president JC Tretter is from Akron.

 

Not a big deal but FWIW, I played in high school against his uncle and maybe his father when they were at Oakfield-Alabama.

  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

That was interesting, there were a few I never knew. I’m also somewhat surprised how many players Syracuse produced. Rochester doesn’t have anyone of note,

Roland Williams is the only name I can think of, but he didn’t make the list. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/1/2021 at 12:34 PM, RiotAct said:

Jim Haslett, too.  Grew up in Royalton, I believe?  Met him at a Bills Backers bar about 10 years ago, nice guy.

 

Anyone who stomps on Terry Bradshaw's head is okay with me! 😀
 

Quote from The Washington Post:

"The bad thing is I'm from Pittsburgh and when I was growing up, Jack Lambert and Terry Bradshaw were my idols," Haslett said. "Anybody who has asked me if I did it on purpose, I would say I slipped or something. But the truth is, I knew if they scored again we were never going to beat them. So one of the players accidentally ripped his helmet off, and his head was exposed so I kicked him. It wasn't the best thing to do. My family was getting into fights in the stands. I couldn't go home for a couple off-seasons."

 

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2010/01/jim_haslett_stepped_on_terry_b.html

Edited by ChasBB
More info ...
  • Like (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

<ay be wromg about some of this but Sean Regent, who went to Cheektowaga Central in late  70searly 80s. I think he played for the Packers  for a few years as an O lineman. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They played hoops, but any list of great WNY athletes must contain Bob Lanier and Calvin Murphy.

 

And now back to football. P.S. I went to school with Jim Dombrowski's sister Carol at Maplemere Elementary in Amherst.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pretty wild that Conlan played high school ball at Frewburg, it is such a tiny little rural town. When I was in high school it was in the lowest NY Class D division with the Shermans and Forestvilles and tiny little hamlet towns of NY.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/1/2021 at 11:45 AM, QLBillsFan said:

#44 Marv Hubbard from Randolph pro bowl FB for the John Madden Raiders from 69-75. Legend on NFL films for rivalry with Chiefs. Still has one of the highest avg yards per carry in NFL history. 
 

Chuck Christ Salamanca played for Giants,49ers, and was pro bowl S for Saints. Early to late 70’s. Played basketball at Penn St then FA made the Giants and had 7-8 year career. 

I knew Chuck Christ in high school.  Not well - he was a few years older than me, but I watched him play high school football through his whol varsity career.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in the same Grade 11 Chemistry class as Justin Strelczyk and  on the football team.  Oddly, I was offensive line and he was a WR.  Not close friends, he was a really nice guy, always got along... He wasn't a ***** like some others were on the team. 

 

Sad how things ended for him. RIP

 

Homeroom too...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ExiledInIllinois said:

I was in the same Grade 11 Chemistry class as Justin Strelczyk and  on the football team.  Oddly, I was offensive line and he was a WR.  Not close friends, he was a really nice guy, always got along... He wasn't a ***** like some others were on the team. 

 

Sad how things ended for him. RIP

 

Homeroom too...

 

My cousin went to high school with him too.  Always said he was a great guy then and even after he made it to the NFL, as he'd run into him at times in the summer. 

  • Thank you (+1) 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, White Linen said:

 

My cousin went to high school with him too.  Always said he was a great guy then and even after he made it to the NFL, as he'd run into him at times in the summer. 

We probably know each other. 😉😜

 

 

 

Anybody mention Depew's Don Majkowski and Lackawanna's Ron Jaworski?  

 

The two "Polish Rifles!"

Edited by ExiledInIllinois
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/1/2021 at 6:25 AM, T master said:

I never knew there were so many NFL players that came from the western NY area of course we've all heard about Gronk & Jaws but i never had a clue about just how many were from the Bills region I hope you a ll find this as cool as i did & if this has already been a post for give me for the reposting ! 

 

https://billswire.usatoday.com/lists/homegrown-legends-best-nfl-players-from-buffalo-western-new-york/

That was really interesting.   A name I didn't see was Marv Hubbard.  He played for Randolph Highschool and had a very good career with the Raiders.

 

I played against his brother in high-school football.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/4/2021 at 2:40 PM, longtimebillsfan said:

That was really interesting.   A name I didn't see was Marv Hubbard.  He played for Randolph Highschool and had a very good career with the Raiders.

 

I played against his brother in high-school football.

Marv and Shane were mentioned in the article.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...