Buffalo Bills: 15 best first-round draft picks of all-time
By John Buhler
We all remember the historic 1973 NFL season for former Bills running back O.J. Simpson. You know, the one where he rushed for over 2,000 yards in just 14 games. Yeah, that one. The Juice was a remarkable ball carrier, but he couldn’t have earned Canton enshrinement without the help of his Electric Company offensive line.
The most notable player on the Electric Company offensive line was right guard Joe DeLamielleure. Buffalo used its No. 26 overall pick on DeLamielleure in the 1973 NFL Draft out of Michigan State and got immediate production out of the guy. During his first seven NFL seasons with the Bills (1973-79), he was fantastic.
DeLamielleure made six straight Pro Bowls from 1975 to 1980, the first five while with the Bills. He was a first-team All-Pro in three straight seasons from 1975 to 1977. DeLamielleure played in 112 games, making 105 starts on the Bills offensive line over two stints.
He would be traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1980, where he played with another NFL MVP in Cleveland quarterback Brian Sipe. DeLamielleure would play the next five seasons with the Browns before returning to Orchard Park for his final NFL season in 1985.
He made the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, the Bills Wall of Fame and the Browns Ring of Honor. DeLamielleure would earn Canton enshrinement in 2003 with classmates like running Marcus Allen, wide receiver James Lofton and head coach Hank Stram.