Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Ralph Wilson, Founder And Owner Of The Buffalo Bills, Last Orignal Still-Active AFL Owner, R.I.P.

Ralph Wilson, the founder and owner of the NFL's Buffalo Bills, and the last original American Football League club owner still active, passed away at the age of 95.

The Bills announced Mr. Wilson's passing on Tuesday.

The Buffalo Bills were founded late in 1959 and began play in 1960.  Under Mr. Wilson's watch, the Bills won back-to-back AFL championships (1964-65) and four straight American Football Conference titles (1990-93) but never won a Super Bowl.

With Mr. Wilson gone, Barron Hilton, who founded the Los Angeles Chargers (who moved to San Diego in 1961) is now the only remaining surviving original AFL club owner.  Mr. Hilton sold the Chargers in 1966.

Mr. Wilson was elected to and enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.  The Bills' home stadium in suburban Orchard Park, New York bears his name.

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