Buffalo Bills History: Who Wore It – Number 24

Dec 22, 2013; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) during a game against the Miami Dolphins at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Buffalo beats Miami 19 to 0. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

The Buffalo Bills, during their 50+ year history have had 14 players come through their doors and wear the number 24. Lets take a took at whose though players are and were.

We start, as always in the 1960s; exactly 960.  Bill Kinard is the first player to where the number 24 for the Bills. The Bills were Kinard’s last stop on his professional football career. Starting in 1957 with the NFL Cleveland Browns and then the Green Bay Packers in 1957-1958, Kinard finished his career with the Bills in 1960.

Booker Edgerson is the next player to wear the number 24.  He played for the Bills from 1962-1969.  Edgerson was considered the cornerstone to the Bills defense during the mid-60s while playing cornerback.  He finished his career with 23 interceptions in Buffalo and has been placed on the Bills Wall of Fame in 2010.

Bob Gladieux played for the Bills in 1970 as a running back.  In 1970 he split his time between two teams, playing for Boston and then for Buffalo.  Active for 2 games, he did not see any touches with the ball.

Between 1973 and 1974 we see 3 three players that come though Buffalo, all on 1 year stints for the Bills, wearing the number 24.  Ernie Kellerman is the first in 1973.  Then Ed Jenkins and Al Randolph during the 1974 campaign.  Kellerman finished up his career with the Bills playing for the Browns and the Bengals before hand.  Both Jenkins and Randolph didn’t spend much time with the Bills as they played for multiple teams during the 1974 season.  Jenkins played for the Bills, Patriots and Giants during that season and Randolph finished his career in 1974 with the Bills and his third stint with the 49ers.

Starting the second half of the players to wear the number 24 for the Bills, we look to DB Doug Jones.  Jones played a total of 6 season in the NFL with 3 of them coming in the Bills uniform.  He also played for the Chiefs and the Lions.

Four years go by until we see another player in the number 24.  1982 Lemar Parrish plays for the Bills in number 24.  Parrish finished his career in Buffalo starting back in 1970 with the Bengals and making a pit stop along the way in Washington.

Gary Thompson is next seen wearing the number 24.  Thompson played for the Bills from 1983-1984 wearing both the numbers 24 and 38.  While in Buffalo he played a total of 24 games.  These were his only two years in the NFL.

Johnny Shepard is the next Bills player to wear number 24 and he was a replacement player to play during the 1987 players strike.  He started in the CFL in 1983 and after his stint with the Bills move to the AFL with the New York Knights. for a season.

Kurt Schultz is the next player to wear the number 24.  Schultz played in the NFL for 10 seasons, 8 of those with Buffalo.  Of his time in Buffalo, he started 72 of 107 games played in. He had 21 interceptions and 233 tackles during his time in Buffalo.  In 1999 he went on to play two more years in the NFL with the Detroit Lions.

Terrence McGee is the 2nd to last player to wear the number 24 for the Bills.  Playing for the Bills from 2003-2012, McGee is still the record holder for the Bills for kick return yardage, and touchdowns as well as having the longest kick return at 104 yards.  He also has more than double the amount of returns than his 2nd place colleague, Leodis McKelvin.

The final player to wear the number 24 and current cornerback for the Bills is 2013 draft choice Stephon Gilmore. Gilmore was drafted at the number 10 spot in the first round of the 2013 draft.  He began wearing number 27 but switched to 24.  He currently has 82 tackles through 2 years and 3 interceptions.