The list of inductees into the Pro Football Hall of Fame includes players, coaches, and contributors (e.g., owners and team or league officials) who have "made outstanding contributions to professional football". The "charter" class of seventeen was selected in 1963.[1]
As of 2016, 13 inductees have played for, coached, or contributed to the Buffalo Bills.[2]
According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 10 of these men made the major part of their primary contribution to the Buffalo Bills.[3] James Lofton spent a minor portion of his career with the Bills, and two others were assistant coaches.
| Inductee | Class | Position | Seasons | Major part of Primary Contribution | Ref | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Offensive Guard | 1973 - 1979 1985 | [4] | |||
| 2002 | Quarterback | 1986 - 1996 | Selected by Bills in 1st round, 1983 draft, passed for more than 3,000 in a season eight times, Master of "No-Huddle" offense, led Buffalo to 8 postseason berths, starting QB in a record 4 straight AFC Championships and Super Bowls, named to 4 Pro Bowls - Career stats: 35,467 Yards, 237 Touchdowns, 84.4 Passer rating, Led NFL with 101.2 rating, 1990 | [5] | ||
| 2010 | Asst. Head Coach | 2003 | Detroit Lions as a Cornerback (12 straight seasons with three or more interceptions. Voted to three consecutive Pro Bowls. All-NFL second-team four times. NFC-leading nine interceptions, 1970. - 62 career interceptions for 762 yards and three touchdowns, ranked third all-time at retirement.) | [6] | ||
| 2001 | Coach General Manager | 1986 - 1997 2006 - 2007 | Designed high-powered “No-Huddle" offense, record four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, 1988 NFL Coach of the Year, AFC Coach of the Year 1988, 1993, 1995 - had 154-120-0 overall record, his coaching victories ranked 10th in NFL history at his retirement, guided Buffalo to 8 playoff appearances in 11 seasons. | [7] | ||
| 2003 | Wide Receiver | 1989 - 1992 | Green Bay Packers More than 50 receptions in a season nine times. First NFL player to score a touchdown in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. - 16 seasons, 764 passes for 14,004 yards, which was the NFL record at the time of his retirement. All-Pro four times, All-NFC three times, Eight Pro Bowls. | [8] | ||
| 2015 | Personnel Director General Manager | 1984 1985 - 1992 | [9] | |||
| 2014 | Wide Receiver | 1985 - 1999 | Fourth round pick by Buffalo, 1985; His 941 career receptions are third all-time at the time of his retirement; 13,198 career receiving yards; Known for his “yards after catch,”; His 13 seasons with 50-plus receptions second only to Jerry Rice; All-AFC four times; Seven Pro Bowls | [10] | ||
| 1981 | Coach Off. Coordinator | 1976 - 1977 1985 - 1988 | Green Bay Packers as a Center All-Pro before Packers dynasty years. All-NFL seven times. 10 Pro Bowls, three NFL championship games. Great down-field blocker, pass protector. Started in then-record 182 straight games, 1954–1967, playing through many injuries. | [11] | ||
| 1999 | Offensive Guard | 1961 - 1969 | First player to spend entire career in AFL to be elected to Hall of Fame, Two-way collegiate player, drafted by Cowboys (NFL) and Bills (AFL), chose Bills to play on offensive line, adept at both pass blocking and run blocking, was a driving force behind offensive unit that led Buffalo to back-to-back AFL championships in 1964, 1965, 8 AFL All-Star games - All AFL Team 5 times. | [12] | ||
| 1985 | Running Back | 1969 - 1977 | Heisman trophy winner, 1968; number 1 NFL draft pick, 1969, career highlighted by 2,003 yards rushing 1973, unanimous All-Pro plus exceeded 1,000 yards rushing, 1972–1976, won four NFL rushing titles, career record 11,236 yards rushing, 203 receptions, 990 yards kickoff returns, 14,368 combined net yards. | [13] | ||
| 2009 | Defensive End | 1985 - 1999 | Bills’ first-round draft pick (1st player overall), 1985 NFL draft, considered one of the most dominant defensive players in NFL history, his 200 career sacks is the NFL all-time record, had 10 or more sacks in an NFL record 13 seasons, NFL Defensive player of the year, 1990 and 1996 - named to NFL's All Decade teams of the 1980s and 1990s, 1st or 2nd team ALL-PRO 11 times, chosen for 11 Pro Bowls. | [14] | ||
| 2007 | Running Back | 1988 - 1999 | Bills’ 2nd round pick in 1988 NFL draft, led NFL in total yards from scrimmage a record 4 consecutive seasons, NFL’s most valuable player, 1991, rushed for 1,000 yards in 8 consecutive seasons His ability to catch the ball as well as run with it was a key ingredient to the Bills' "No-Huddle" offensive attack, 5 straight Pro-Bowls, career numbers 12,074 yards rushing and 16,532 all-purpose yards. | [15] | ||
| 2009 | Team owner | 1959 - 2014 | Original owner in the American Football League - known among NFL owners as "the voice of reason,” for his ability to tackle some of the NFL's toughest issues. During his tenure as Bills owner, team won 2 AFL Championships and a remarkable 4 straight AFC championships. Bills 103 regular season wins were 2nd most in the NFL during 1990S. Began talks with Carroll Rosenbloom, then owner of NFL’s Colts in January 1965, that eventually resulted in AFL-NFL merger | [16] |