CBS Sports gets it right with best Buffalo Bills player not in HOF
Recently, CBS Sports picked the best player for every NFL franchise and they got the Buffalo Bills pick absolutely right.
The Buffalo Bills have nine players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, most recently to be inducted was wide receiver Terrell Owens who was inducted in 2018. However, there is still a number of great players that wore the Bills uniform that could make a case for the Hall of Fame like Cornelius Bennett or Kent Hull.
The one player though that has the best case is Steve Tasker who seemingly gets overlooked every year during voting. This is why when CBS Sports recently named the best player not in the Hall of Fame for every team, it was good to see that Tasker was the player picked.
"One of the greatest special teams players in NFL history, Tasker earned seven Pro Bowl nods from 1987-95. During that span, Tasker helped the Bills become the first franchise appear in four consecutive Super Bowls. Tasker’s brilliance was on display during the opening minutes of Super Bowl XXVII. With the Cowboys punting from their own 16 yard line, Tasker was lined up against linebacker Robert Jones, a rookie who filled in for an injured starter. Jones didn’t have a chance against Tasker, who beat Jones on an inside move before blocking Mike Saxon’s punt. Tasker’s play set up the game’s first touchdown."
Tasker joined the Buffalo Bills after the team claimed him off waivers during the 1986 season. He would go on to spend the next 11 years with the franchise before retiring after the 1997 season. During that span, Tasker would become one of the premier special teams player in the league.
He would be named to seven Pro Bowls, including six straight from 1990 to 1995 and to this day is the only special teams player to win a Pro Bowl MVP, when he won the award in the 1992 season.
There is no question that every year teams have those unsung heroes, the players that do the little things that help a team be successful. That is exactly what Steve Tasker did for the Buffalo Bills during their four straight Super Bowl runs in the early 1990s.
In general, special teams is often not considered as there are only four kickers and one punter in the Pro Football Hall of Fame but this is an aspect of the game that is equally as important and deserves recognition. Hopefully in the coming years, Steve Tasker will be selected for his place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.