Buffalo Bills All-Time Pro Bowl And AFL All-Star Selections

Despite the recent slow trickle of Pro Bowlers from the Buffalo Bills organization, the team has had many trips to the Pro Bowl and prior to the the AFL All-Star Game. The totals are for selections while a member of the Bills only. Some folks, like Ruben Brown and James Lofton, made additional Pro Bowls after leaving or before joining the Bills.

Bruce Smith is the Bills all-time leader in Pro Bowl appearances and it's not even close. He made the AFC team in eleven of twelve years with the only miss in 1991 when he played in only five games.

A pair of guards are next as AFL star and Hall of Famer Billy Shaw made eight trips to the AFL All-Star Game to finish his career and Ruben Brown represented Buffalo in the Pro Bowl from 1996 to 2003 when he left for Chicago.

Steve Tasker and Andre Reed share the next slot with seven trips followed by Jack Kemp, OJ Simpson, and Mike Stratton with six apiece. Reed's selections were consecutive from 1988 to 1994 as were Stratton's from 1963 to 1968.

Following the top eight is a logjam of Bills with five appearances in a postseason all star game. In the AFL Butch Byrd, George Saimes, and Stew Barber represented the East All-Stars while post-merger Joe DeLamielleure, Thurman Thomas, Fred Smerlas, Cornelius Bennett and Jim Kelly represented the AFC.

Only AFL All-Stars are in the group that have four trips with Tom Sestak, Jim Dunaway, and Ernie Warlick. Tied with three apiece are Kent Hull, Robert James, Cookie Gilchrist, Bryce Paup, Joe Cribbs, Ted Washington, Shane Conlan, and Eric Moulds.

Recent and current Buffalo Bills are now finally showing up. With two Pro Bowls apiece there are Brian Moorman and Aaron Schobel along with Takeo Spikes, Nate Odomes, Jason Peters, Darryl Talley, Howard Ballard, Sam Gash, Jim Ritcher, and Will Wolford. Two-time AFL All-Stars include Ron McDole, Archie Matsos, Paul Costa, Tom Janik, Wray Carlton, Henry Jacobs, and John Tracey.

Plenty of players have made the All-Star or Pro Bowl rosters only once. In the 1960s LaVerne Torczon, Chuck McMurtry, Harold Olson, Dick Hudson, Haven Moses, George Flint, Ed Rutkowski, Billy Atkins, Marv Matuszak, Dave Behrman, Daryle Lamonica, Pete Gogolak, Mike Mercer, Marty Schottenheimer, Al Bemiller, Elbert Dubenion, Ken Rice, Hagood Clarke, Pete Mills, Charley Ferguson, Bo Roderson, Bobby Burnett, Paul Maguire, Henry Schmidt, Billy Joe, Joe O'Donnell, Charley Warner, Tom Day, Bill Laskey, Dudley Meredith, Bobby Smith, Booker Edgerson, and Keith Lincoln made the All-Star team. Richie McCabe likely would have in 1960 had a team existed as he was named All-AFL. It also must be noted that the entire 1965 team gets credited with an appearance because the AFL's format that year was AFL Champions vs. the All-Stars. As Champions the Bills players were all member of the All-Star game.

The 1970s saw few Pro Bowlers for the Bills. Those with single selections are Tony Greene, Dave Foley, J.D. Hill, and Marlin Briscoe. In the 1980s Scott Norwood, Jerry Butler, Frank Lewis, Ben Williams, and Greg Bell were selected once. James Lofton and Doug Flutie are the only two one-time selections in the 90s.

Nate Clements, Marshawn Lynch, long snapper Mike Schneck, Sam Adams, Sam Cowart, Jairus Byrd, Terrence McGee, Larry Centers, Travis Henry, and Drew Bledsoe all earned a single birth in the 2000s and are joined by Kyle Williams making his inaugural trip in 2010.

All in all, a grand total of 100 different Bills players have been selected to the Pro Bowl/AFL All-Star Game with Williams being 101.