Our celebrity picks continue for the Bills 50th Season All-Time Team with a hometown fan that spent his entire professional career in football. Jim McNally went from Kenmore West to the University at Buffalo to a college and pro coaching career that wound up where it all began with the Buffalo Bills.
Growing up watching the Bills at the Rockpile, McNally brings a coaching eye to the selections he makes for his Bills 50th All-Time Team.
Remember you can vote for your 50th All-Time Team at Buffalobills.com. Voting closes on April 19th.
You already saw McNally's offensive team and special teams picks Here now are his defensive team selections and head coach.
Defensive line
Phil Hansen
McNally's take: "I had to scheme against this guy and he was a pain in the neck. He was slippery, he was strong, he was mobile. He wasn't Bruce Smith, but you had to look out for him and account for him because he did a heck of a job. And he'd play over the guard in the nickel and be a handful."
Tom Sestak
McNally's take: "He was a big guy and he controlled the middle of that line. He was one of the top players of his era."
Bruce Smith
Linebacker
Cornelius Bennett
McNally's take: "He was fast and strong. He was like a Lawrence Taylor, maybe not quite as good, but a heck of an athlete, a good blitzer."
Shane Conlan
Mike Stratton
McNally's take: "He could have probably hung with most of the guys today. His skill set was good enough."
Darryl Talley
McNally's take: "Tough, hard-nosed player. He was a very solid every down player and better than he gets credit for off the edge."
Honorable mention
Harry Jacobs
Cornerback
Butch Byrd
Booker Edgerson
McNally's take: "Booker was so fast and quick and Byrd was a bigger more physical corner. Byrd also was a returner. Winfield and Clements were nice players, but Byrd was a big time playmaker and Edgerson could cover almost anybody."
SafetyMark Kelso
McNally's take: "I thought Kelso was a tougher player than he was given credit for."
George Saimes
McNally's take: "Saimes was a tough player too. He'd come up and fill the run and was a super tackler."
Head coach
Marv Levy
