Buffalo Bills: 30 greatest players in franchise history
16. . Strong Safety. 1975-86. Steve Freeman. 28. player
The second safety on this list, Steve Freeman was a big-time playmaker during his 12 seasons with the Bills. He may not have been a star like some of the other guys you’ll be reading about shortly, but his impact in Buffalo was undeniable.
It’s easy to overlook Freeman for a couple of reasons. The first is that he never made a single Pro Bowl or All-Pro team during his extended NFL career. The second is that, for all of those years he spent with Buffalo, his stats and production weren’t anything special. Ask any older-generation Bills fan, though, and they’ll tell you that Freeman was a huge piece of the Buffalo defense.
Freeman spent most of his NFL career with the Bills. Even when he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings in 1987, it wasn’t the right fit for him. He spent one year in the Twin Cities before deciding to hang up his cleats — at least as a player.
After his playing days were over, Freeman became a referee and continues to serve in that role. Although he’s no longer giving back to the Bills directly, his contributors to the game of football are certainly appreciated — even outside of upstate New York.