Two Bills Drive

‘"We’ve got a lot of work to do," Donahoe said. "I like a lot of things I saw with our offense this year. We have the potential to be balanced. We probably threw the ball more than we’d like to in the future. Our defense made some strides, but we have to get a lot better."’

‘”(The Super Bowl) sunk in when Disney asked me to sign a waiver sheet to cover their (rear end),” Johnson said. “To me, backing up is more stressful. You don’t practice all week. But once you get in there, the butterflies go away.”

‘It was a landmark day for the Bills franchise.’

‘…if ever there was a Bill who was a Buffalo type of guy, it was DeLamielleure, a reliable offensive guard who exemplified the town’s blue-collar ethos during his 13-year NFL career – eight of them with the Bills.’

‘The Bills public relations department supplied voters with testimonials from scouts, coaches and former players, along with a chart researched by historian John Turney of White Sands, N.M., comparing DeLamielleure’s career vs. the modern-era linemen already enshrined.’

‘”I will be representing the city of Cleveland and the Browns as much as I will be the Bills.”‘

‘DeLamielleure said he started to think about seven years ago that he wouldn’t be elected. It wasn’t until this year that he survived the cut to 15 candidates. “The longer you wait, the sweeter it is,” he said.’

‘During his football life, Buffalo became home.’

‘DeLamielleure, a salesman who lives in Charlotte, N.C., said he would have played football for “a cap and a T-shirt,” but appreciates the comfortable living the game provided his family.’

‘”I think I was able to help us become a better team,” said Teague, a former star lineman at University School of Jackson and Tennessee. “But we’re not going to be satisfied with 8-8 next year. We have a lot to build on.”‘

‘Cowher also had talked to former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Dick LeBeau about joining his staff as a consultant/secondary coach, where he would be working under Steelers defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. But LeBeau plans to discuss a coaching position with the Buffalo Bills this week. The Bills do not have an opening on their staff, but they are willing to create one to hire LeBeau.’

”’No one blocked me better than Joe DeLamielleure,” hall of fame defensive tackle Joe Greene once said.’

The Hall of Fame, suggested Paige, in reshaping an old Supreme Court opinion, is a little bit like pornography. You might not be able to define it, or even deign to try, but you pretty much know a Hall of Fame player [but NOT an owner] when you see one.

The 14 modern-day finalists are first cut to 10 and, falling out on that vote were Monk, Lester Hayes, Stabler and Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson.

Let’s look a little closer, though. Blackmon was defensive coordinator for the 2001 Falcons, who couldn’t stop a sloth. Steckel was offensive coordinator for the 2000 Bucs, who couldn’t move the ball against the ’01 Falcons, and that helped keep Tampa Bay out of the Super Bowl until now. There’s a reason neither coach was employed in the NFL last season.

The annual tournament, held during Super Bowl week, features the NFL’s top Madden video game players. Unfortunately, Winfield and Springs were nor part of the main tournament. Winfield tried to get into the regular eight-player, single elimination tournament, but EA Sports determined he wasn’t a big enough name among player.