Bills' Wilson And Smith Make Hall Of Fame

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced that Buffalo Bills’ owner Ralph Wilson and former Bills’ DE Bruce Smith are among six finalists elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame earlier today. Wilson and Smith join Bob Hayes, Randall McDaniel, Derrick Thomas and Rod Woodson in the hall of fame Class of 2009. On Saturday, August 8th, the Class of 2009 will be formally enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame during the ceremony held at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, OH. The enshrinement is scheduled for 7 PM ET. Individual tickets and ticket package information is available via www.profootballhof.com. Wilson and Smith also join RB O.J. Simpson (1985), G Billy Shaw (1999), QB Jim Kelly (2001), Coach Marv Levy (2001), G Joe DeLamielleure (2003), WR James Lofton (2003) and RB Thurman Thomas (2007) among Buffalo Bills elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Smith is the first Bills defensive player to earn Pro Football’s most distinguished honor. Mr. Wilson started the Buffalo franchise in 1960, after purchasing the club in 1959, and he has been the team’s only owner. It has been his passion for his team and for the game of professional football that has made him the only original AFL owner who has kept his team in its originating city. He has been presented numerous awards and recognition, but none more appropriate than The Buffalo News naming him the “Top Sports Figure” in Western New York in the past millennium. Smith was a key contributor to the Bills’ success throughout the 1990s. He finished his career as the NFL’s sack leader with 200. Smith had 10 or more sacks in 13 different seasons. He ranks first in the Bills record book in career sacks (171) and sacks in a season (19). He is tied for first in the Bills record book in seasons played (15) and sacks in a game (4).