BB5: Drought-Era Players Who Kept Me Billieving
Starting this site and writing the blogs has made me think about how I became a Buffalo Bills fan and developed my passion for following the team. Unfortunately, I do not remember the Super Bowl-era Bills, as my earliest memories are of the Doug Flutie-led teams. In this edition of BB5, I am looking at the players who kept me a Bills fan during the 17-year drought that sometimes had me questioning my football fandom.
5. London Fletcher (‘02-’06): Fletcher was a tackling machine during his stint in Buffalo. He never missed a game over five seasons and amassed 730 tackles. Fletcher, lined up next to Takeo Spikes, was a dominant LB combo on the beginning stretch of underwhelming Bills teams. Their best season was 9-7, as they could only manage a trio of third-place finishes in the AFC East. Fletcher is one of the most underappreciated linebackers in recent NFL history.
4. Aaron Schobel (‘01-’09): Schobel was a force on the D-line for almost a decade. I was a big Schobel fan and admired his relentless motor while playing for years of disappointing teams. Ultimately, his passion for the game dwindled, and he retired after returning from a foot injury while posting his fourth career double-digit sack season. He finished his career second all-time in sacks with 78, behind Bruce Smith.
3. Stevie Johnson (‘08-’13): Johnson is one of the first players I think of with what his career would have looked like with Josh Allen as his quarterback. As a 7th-round pick, it's remarkable that he stuck around long enough to break out in his third season as a Bill, leading to three consecutive 1000-yard seasons. At the time, he was the only Buffalo Bill to accomplish this feat. His route running was ahead of his time, and I will never forget his one-handed snag vs Seattle and the infamous “Why So Serious?” celebration.
Stevie Johnson One-Handed Catch
2. Fred Jackson (‘07-’14): It was tough to put Freddy at number 2 on this list and not 1. Jackson played Division III football at Coe College, where Marv Levy had graduated from. Levy invited Jackson to training camp after a couple of seasons between the indoor leagues and NFL Europe. He became a true dual-threat weapon out of the backfield in Buffalo, compiling 8200+ total yards and 37 touchdowns. He still ranks 3rd in rushing yards and 5th in rushing TDs. Unfortunately, he got injured on what was shaping up to be a historical 2011 season where he racked up 1376 total yards over ten games. His catch and run in the victory against New England early in the season is one of my favorite highlights.
1. Kyle Williams (‘06-’18): Kyle Williams was a player for the Bills who didn't get enough time with Sean McDermott as his coach. He arrived in Buffalo with the 5th-round draft pick the Bills received in the Eric Moulds trade with Houston and turned into one of the best leaders that ever put on a Bills uniform. Williams's locker room reaction to the Bills making the playoffs for the first time in his career is fantastic, and I found it fitting to put him at number 1 since he helped lead the team that ended the 17-year drought. Williams finished his career in Buffalo in 2018 in a game where he had his first career catch. The fan and player reaction as he left the field showed everything you need to know about him as a player and the respect that he had. If the Bills plan to add a player to the ring of honor when they open the new stadium, I hope the list starts with Kyle Williams.
Kyle Williams Playoff Reaction
