There weren't many AFL players who could catch the man whose teammates called 'Golden Wheels.' Elbert Dubenion, a key member of Buffalo's back-to-back AFL Championship teams in the mid-1960's, was the big-play receiving threat for the Bills in their early days of the American Football League. The only thing that caught up with Dubenion was 'Father Time' as the great receiver passed this week at the age of 86.
Dubenion had been battling the effects of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease for the last several years.
The announcement of Dubenion's passing comes on the anniversary of his team's first AFL title, Dec. 26th, 1964 when the Bills beat the San Diego Chargers by a score of 20-7 for their first ever championship.
The Bills led the league in scoring and total yards that season and Dubenion was a big reason why. The speedy receiver put up a career-high 1,139 receiving yards on just 42 receptions giving him an eye-popping receiving average of 27.1 yards per reception, a franchise mark that still stands today.
Dubenion also contributed a career-high 10 touchdowns to lead the team that season.
The receiver was named to the Bills Wall of Fame in 1995.
In addition to his playing career, Dubenion served as a scout in the NFL. He worked for the Bills from 1969 to 1978 in addition to spending time with the Miami Dolphins and Atlanta Falcons and second stint with the Bills in the 1980s.
