Former Buffalo Bills special teams ace Steve Tasker a Hall of Fame semifinalist

Steve Tasker, the standout special teams player from the Buffalo Bills’ Super Bowl-era squad, is a Hall of Fame semifinalist once again this year. This is the ninth time that Tasker has appeared on the ballot as a finalist, and it is his final year of eligibility as a modern-era player.

Tasker joined the Bills via a waiver claim on November 8, 1986. That date is significant because it was the first transaction under Buffalo’s new head coach, Marv Levy, who was hired just five days prior. Levy, himself a former special teams coach, knew that he needed to prioritize that phase of the game, and while Tasker was listed as a wide receiver, he spent nearly all of his time covering kicks and punts on special teams.

Tasker made seven Pro Bowl teams in his 13-year career. He is the only special teams player ever to be voted MVP of the Pro Bowl, earning the honor in the 1993 Pro Bowl. He made four special teams tackles in that game, adding a blocked field goal and a fumble recovery to his ledger.

For his career, Tasker was credited with 204 special teams tackles and seven blocked punts. In 2000, he was voted one of 26 players deemed “The Best of the Best ALL TIME Players in the History of the Game” by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While he didn’t contribute much, if at all, as a receiver early in his career, he found some success as a wideout as the Bills’ core group aged and disbanded. With quarterback Jim Kelly wanting players he could trust, he and other offensive players lobbied for Tasker to see more time on offense, and he caught 41 passes for 627 yards and six touchdowns during the 1995 and 1996 seasons.

Tasker is one of 26 semifinalists this year. The entire list is below.

• Eric Allen
• Jared Allen
• Willie Anderson
• Ronde Barber
• Anquan Boldin
• Tony Boselli
• LeRoy Butler
• Eddie George
• Devin Hester
• Torry Holt
• Andre Johnson
• Robert Mathis
• Sam Mills
• Steve Tasker
• Fred Taylor
• Zach Thomas
• Hines Ward
• DeMarcus Ware
• Ricky Watters
• Reggie Wayne
• Vince Wilfork
• Patrick Willis
• Darren Woodson
• Bryant Young