Thomas Joseph Sestak was an American football defensive tackle who played for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). He played college football for the McNeese State Cowboys. He was named to the AFL All-Time Team.
Bruce Bernard Smith is an American former football defensive end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies, where he was a twice All-American, and was selected with the first overall pick by the Bills in the 1985 NFL draft.
William Clay Matthews Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Cleveland Browns and the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected in the first round of the 1978 NFL Draft by the Browns and played in 278 games over 19 NFL seasons, which initially ranked him at number 17 among most games played. Matthews had 1,561 tackles in his career, unofficially the third most in NFL history trailing Jessie Tuggle and Ray Lewis.
James David Lofton is an American former professional football player and coach. He played in the National Football League (NFL) as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers (1978–1986), Los Angeles Raiders (1987–1988), the Buffalo Bills (1989–1992), Los Angeles Rams (1993) and Philadelphia Eagles (1993). He was also the NCAA champion in the long jump in 1978 while attending Stanford University.
Shane Patrick Conlan is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions, winning two national championships in 1982 and 1986, although he was red-shirted prior to the start of the 1982 season and did not play that season. In 1981, prior to his Penn State career and after his senior season at Frewsburg High School in which he played under head coach Thomas Sharp, Conlan was voted Western New York high school Player of the Year. During his career at Penn State, Conlan had 274 tackles, including a school-record 186 solos. He finished his football career as a three-time all-pro with the NFL's Buffalo Bills and the Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams.
Cornelius O'Landa Bennett is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1995, Atlanta Falcons from 1996 to 1998, and the Indianapolis Colts from 1999 to 2000. Bennett was a five-time Pro Bowler, being elected in 1988, and 1990–1993, and won the AFC Defensive Player of the Year award twice.
Howard Louis Ballard is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. He was selected by the Bills in the 11th round of the 1987 NFL Draft. Nicknamed "House", for his sturdy build, he played in four Super Bowls and was selected to two Pro Bowls while a member of the Bills. He played college football at Alabama A&M University.
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League (NFL). This season featured games predominantly played by replacement players, as the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) players were on strike from weeks four to six with week three being cancelled in its entirety. This remains the last NFL season in which regular-season games were impacted by a labor conflict.
Timothy McDonald is an American former football safety who played for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). McDonald played college football for the USC Trojans, and was honored as a two-time All-American and two-time team most valuable player (MVP). A second-round pick in the 1987 NFL Draft, he played for the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals (1987–1992) and the San Francisco 49ers (1993–1999). Upon the conclusion of his playing career, McDonald entered coaching, most recently serving as the defensive backs coach for the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills.
Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Buffalo Bills (1987–1993), Seattle Seahawks (1994–1995), and the Atlanta Falcons (1996). Before his NFL career, he played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers, returning 36 punts for 359 yards and intercepting nine passes. His seven interceptions in the 1986 season led the Big Ten Conference. He was selected by the Bills in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft.
Thomas Michael Cousineau is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. He played college football for Ohio State University, and twice earned All-American honors. He was the first overall pick of the 1979 NFL draft, and played professionally for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes and the NFL's Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers.
Kenneth Wayne Sims is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons during the 1980s. He played college football at Texas, where he was a two-time consensus All-American. Sims was the first overall pick in the 1982 NFL draft, and played professionally for the New England Patriots including the season they went to Super Bowl XX.
Jason Ogden Buck is an American former professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL).
John Mark Carrier is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He worked for the Carolina Panthers in their front office from 2011 to 2020, and was hired by the Buffalo Bills as their player engagement director in 2021.
Leon Seals, Jr. is a former American football defensive end in the National Football League (NFL).
Spencer Allen Tillman is an American former professional football player who played running back for eight seasons for the Houston Oilers and San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Clarence Vaughn is a former American football safety in the National Football League (NFL) for the Washington Redskins.
Donald John Graham is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Buffalo Bills, and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Penn State University and was drafted in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft.
Aaron Cox is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He played in the NFL for the Los Angeles Rams and the Indianapolis Colts.
William F. Cronin, Jr. was an American football tight end who played one season with the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League (AFL). He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the fifteenth round of the 1965 AFL Draft. He played college football at Boston College. Cronin was also a member of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL).
