Buffalo Bills: 30 greatest players in franchise history
Outside Linebacker. 1987-95. Cornelius Bennett. 13. player. 16.
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, there weren’t many better pass rushers in the NFL than Cornelius Bennett. A key factor in the Bills’ four consecutive trips to the Super Bowl, the dominant outside linebacker certainly made the most of his time in Upstate New York.
More broadly, Bennett was just a pure playmaker. During his time with the Bills, he racked up 52.5 sacks (fourth in franchise history), 22 forced fumbles, 19 recovered fumbles, six interceptions and found the end zone twice. On top of that, he tallied nearly 800 total tackles, boosting him to third on Buffalo’s all-time list.
Bennett was named to five Pro Bowl teams while also earning three All-Pro selections. However, the real recognition came when he was twice named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year (1988, 1991) and was then chosen for the NFL’s 1990s All-Decade Team.
Put simply, Bennett was a monster for the Bills. Although not quite at the same level as the greatest pass rusher to ever play for Buffalo, he certainly made the most of his nine years with the club.