Buffalo Bills History: Who Wore It – Number 16

Dec. 30, 2012; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brad Smith (16) runs the ball after a catch while being defended by New York Jets inside linebacker

(52) at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills won 28-9. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

With a couple of days being taken off to bring us to the beginning of the month of May we will begin to look at who wore the number 16 throughout the Buffalo Bills history.

Over the years there has been 6 players that have donned the number 16.  It started in 1967 with quarterback Tom Flores. Flores was traded to Buffalo in 1967 from the Oakland Raiders.  He served as a back-up for the Bills and was released in 1969 where he went on to back-up Len Dawson of the Kansas City Chiefs during their Super Bowl run in 1969.  He retired in 1970 and is fifth overall in passing for the AFL.  Flores also wore the number 21 for the Bills.

From 1970-1973 we saw quarterback Dennis Shaw wear the number 16 for the Bills.  Shaw was drafted by the Bills in 1970.  He won the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 1970 and is only one of seven quarterbacks to win the award.  Ben Roethlisberger, Vince Young, Matt Ryan, Sam Bradford, Cam Newton, and Robert Griffin III also have won the award.

In 1974 Hunter Scott, quarterback, wore the number 16 for the Buffalo Bills.  Scott was traded to the Bills in 1974 from the Green Bay Packers and played back-up to Joe Ferguson.  He was released prior to training camp in 1975 and did not play that year.  He came back to the league in 1976 with the Atlanta Falcons.

The fourth of six players to tote the number 16 is that of wide receiver Russell Copeland.  Copeland also wore the number 85 for the Bills.  Copeland played for the Bills from 1993-1996.  He went on to play for the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles in 1998.  He wasn’t seen again until 2001 when he played in 1 game for the CFL Toronto Argonauts.

We didn’t see the number 16 until 2006 again when quarterback Craig Nall wore it.  Nall was in competition with J.P. Losman and Trent Edwards until he pulled a hamstring on the second day of practice.  He was placed as the third string QB and was released in 2007.

Brad Smith is the final Bills player to wear the number 16.  Smith came to the Bills in 2011 as a free agent from the NY Jets.  The Bills mainly used him in wildcat formations.  Smith had the ability to play quarterback, running back, or wide receiver.  The Bills also used him at the wide receiver position.  Smith was placed on the IR list in 2013 and was released off of it to waivers later in the season.

There is no current Bills player that is wearing the number 16.