Offensive Tackle: Will Wolford 1986-1998
Will Wolford is a generational football player with a great resume.
- 3 time Pro-Bowler
- 1 time Second Team All-Pro
- 3 time AFC Champion
Wolford played 191 NFL football games and started 191 NFL football games.
SBNation.com describes Wolford:
"“William Charles Wolford was born on May 18, 1964 in Louisville, Kentucky. He attended St. Xavier High School in Louisville, where he was honorable mention All-State in basketball, before heading to Vanderbilt University. He played for the Commodores from 1982 through 1985, where he played left guard and right tackle before earning All-SEC honors in his senior year. He was also named captain of the team in 1985 and played in the Senior Bowl that season. The Bills made Wolford the No. 20 overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft; he would spend the next seven seasons as the team’s starting left tackle. He played in the team’s first three Super Bowl appearances before leaving for Indianapolis in free agency. Wolford spent three seasons with the Colts and another three with the Steelers before retiring; he was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.”"
Howard Ballard 1987-1998
- 2 time Pro-Bowler
- 4 time 1st team All-Pro
- 1 time 2nd team All-Pro
Howard Ballard carried the nickname “House” for the majority of his career. At 6 feet 6 inches, 325 lbs. it is easy to tell why that is. House was also very reliable missing zero games his entire career.
BuffaloRamblings describes Ballard:
"“His play earned him a Pro Bowl berth in each of his final two seasons in Buffalo (92-93), and he was also named First Team All-Conference by the Sporting News from 1991-1993. His excellent play not only earned him recognition league-wide, it also earned him a shiny, new contract. Following the 1993 season, Ballard was an unrestricted free agent; he went on to sign with the Seattle Seahawks for 4 years and $10.5M. His knees ending up becoming a problem as his career with Seattle came to a close after the 1998 season.”"
The Buffalo Bills have had a vast number of talented offensive linemen play for the franchise. That is why it didn’t come as a shock that Ballard was left off the Bills’ 50th anniversary team.
Howard Ballard is one of the greatest tackles to ever play for Buffalo.