The Bills are saddened to learn about the passing of Bills legend and Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Billy Shaw. The two-time AFL champion passed away at the age of 85 on October 4 in Toccoa, GA and was surrounded by his wife and three daughters after a brief illness of hyponatremia. His services will be announced at a later date.
Shaw spent his entire career with the Bills playing offensive guard from 1961-1969. The former Bill played in the American Football League and is the only player ever inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1999) without every playing in the NFL. He was also inducted to the Bills Wall of Fame in 1988.
'Mr. AFL' was known for being one of the best guards of the 1960s. His accolades show just how meaningful he was to the Bills and the AFL. Shaw was a two-time AFL champion (1964, 1965), eight-time AFL All-Star (1962-1969) and earned All-AFL honors seven times (1962-1966, 1968, 1969). He was also selected to the All-Decade team of the '60s.
Shaw played in 119 games during his nine seasons in Buffalo. He was originally drafted by the Bills (2nd round, AFL Draft) and the Cowboys (14th round, NFL Draft). Shaw decided to play for the Bills because they wanted him to play offensive line while the Cowboys wanted him at linebacker.
"Billy Shaw holds the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to play his entire career in the American Football League, but while that fact is worthy of noting and nice to recite, it comes nowhere near providing the reason he was elected as a member of the Class of 1999," Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said Friday in a statement. "Billy's all-around athleticism brought a new dimension to the guard position and made the 1960s Buffalo Bills a formidable opponent capable of bruising opponents with a punishing rushing attack. And while Billy could be unforgiving to anyone in his way on the football field, he was the classic example of the 'Southern gentlemen' off the field to everyone he encountered."
