Buffalo Bills: 30 greatest players in franchise history

Back in the 1960s, it wasn’t easy finding a quality quarterback. We have to remember that these were the days when running the ball was the far more popular approach, and signal callers simply didn’t produce at the pace they do these days.

And yet, Jack Kemp was still a big-time playmaker for the Bills.

Currently third on the Bills’ all-time passing list, Kemp made his living as a tough, resilient passer who put together some of the best seasons in franchise history. In fact, he’s the only Buffalo quarterback who secured a championship, albeit before the Super Bowl era. Still, those two championships are two of the team’s brightest moments.

It’s all the more impressive when you consider a couple of things. The first is that Kemp hailed from Occidental College, a small, private school in California. The second is that he was a 17th-round pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, spending time with several other teams (including in the CFL) before landing with the Bills.

Kemp went on to have a very successful political career, which may realistically have overshadowed his football career. Still, the older generations of Buffalo fans remember him well.