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.
Here now are McNally's 50th All-Time Team offense and special teams, with some special honorable mentions for offensive linemen, being a former offensive line coach. We'll release his defensive team and head coach when voting opens for defensive candidates later this month.
QuarterbackJim Kelly
McNally's take: "You'd have to say Jim Kelly, but Jack Kemp wasn't far behind winning those two AFL titles."
Running back
Thurman Thomas
McNally take: "You have to pick Thurman Thomas. The guy is in the Hall of Fame and was dynamic. I can't confirm this because I wasn't the student of the game being younger at the time, but from what people say Cookie Gilchrist may have been the best running back ever. He didn't play here nearly as long as Thurman. So it's Thurman for me, but Gilchrist may have been the best combination of runner, blocker, speed that there was ever. I saw him play, but I was younger and it was so long ago. I remember him being a battering ram. He could run over people. But it was a long time ago and he wasn't here as long as Thurman."
Wide receiver
Jerry Butler
McNally's take: "He did an awful lot for that offense at that time."
James Lofton
Andre Reed
McNally's take: "These guys were both automatics for my team."
Tight end
Ernie Warlick
McNally's take: "I loved Ernie Warlick. That was a long time ago. It's hard not to pick Metzelaars because of what he meant to those Super Bowl teams, but I'm going to pick Warlick. He was sure-handed and I think if he was in present day football with weightlifting and the diets they have now, he'd be unbelievable."
Offensive line
Howard Ballard
McNally's take: "I'd take him. He was that power guy that really got their run game going."
Joe DeLamielleure
McNally's take: "This guy was one of the toughest linemen I've ever seen.
Kent Hull
McNally's take: "This guy was the brains of the offensive line and made all the blocking adjustments plus was a damn good player."
Billy Shaw
McNally's take: "He was like 250 pounds so nowadays he would have been maybe 300 pounds. He was head and shoulders better than all the other linemen of his day. He was just so athletic."
Will Wolford
McNally's take: "Wolford was the left tackle that protected the quarterback. He was a real hard guy to get around."
Honorable mention
Al Bemiller
Reggie McKenzie
Jason Peters
Jim Ritcher
McNally's take: "I need to have these guys. I was the offensive line coach so I get extra picks. I'm going with these four guys."
Special teams
Steve Tasker
Kicker
Steve Christie
Punter
Brian Moorman
McNally's take: "I had a front row seat and saw how high he could kick that ball. Honorable mention to Maguire though."
