1979 Buffalo Bills Preseason Roster and Depth Charts

1979 Bills Preseason Roster
Head Coach - Chuck Knox
Assistant Coaches: Tom Catlin, Jack Donaldson, Steve Moore, Elijah Pitts, Ray Prochaska, Kay Stephenson, Jim Wagstaff, Willie Zapalac
60 Bill Adams (G) Holy Cross
52 Doug Becker (LB) Notre Dame
47 Curtis Brown (RB) Missouri
58 Mario Celotto (LB) USC
81 Bob Chandler (WR) USC
29 Mario Clark (CB) Oregon
35 Mike Collier (RB) Morgan State
68 Joe DeLamielleure (G) Michigan State
6  Tom Dempsey (K) Palomar Junior College
70 Joe Devlin (T) Iowa
85 Phil Dokes (DE) Oklahoma State
79 Elbert Drungo (T) Tennessee State
56 Tom Ehlers (LB) Kentucky
12 Joe Ferguson (QB) Arkansas
84 Mike Franckowiak (TE) Central Michigan
22 Steve Freeman (CB-S) Mississippi State
Rockne Freitas (T) Oregon State
88 Reuben Gant (TE) Oklahoma State
55 Tom Graham (LB) Oregon
53 Will Grant (C) Kentucky
43 Tony Greene (S) Maryland
74 Dee Hardison (DT) North Carolina
76 Craig Hertwig (T) Georgia
80 John Holland (WR) Tennessee State
25 Roland Hooks (RB) North Carolina State
78 Scott Hutchinson (DE) Florida
 4  Rusty Jackson (P) LSU
51 Dan Jilek (LB) Michigan
39 Dennis D. Johnson (RB) Mississippi State
75 Dennis L. Johnson (DT) Delaware
24 Doug Jones (S) Arizona State, Cal State-Northridge
73 Ken Jones (T) Arkansas State
71 Mike Kadish (DT) Notre Dame
82 Frank Lewis (WR) Grambling
10 David Mays (QB) Texas Southern
54 Randy McClanahan (LB) Louisiana-Lafayette
67 Reggie McKenzie (G) Michigan
41 Eddie McMillan (CB) Florida State
40 Terry Miller (RB) North Carolina State
46 Keith Moody (KR-CB) Syracuse
 9  Bill Munson (QB) Utah State
59 Shane Nelson (LB) Baylor
Phil Olsen (C) Utah State
61 Willie Parker (C) North Texas State
89 Lou Piccone (WR) West Liberty State
23 Steve Powell (RB) Northeast Missouri State
26 Charles Romes (S) North Carolina Central
57 Lucius Sanford (LB) Georgia Tech
Bill Simpson (S) Michigan State
21 Marvin Switzer (S) Kansas State
49 Larry Walton (WR) Arizona State
83 Sherman White (DE) California
77 Ben Williams (DE) Mississippi
86 Leonard Willis (WR) Ohio State
53 Connie Zelencik (C) Purdue

Top Draft Choices
1 Tom Cousineau (LB) Ohio State
1 Jerry Butler (WR) Clemson
2 Fred Smerlas (DT) Boston College
2 Jim Haslett (LB) Indiana (PA)
3 Jon Borchardt (T) Montana State

-1979 Complete Handbook of Pro Football


1979 Bills Preseason Depth Charts
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Ferguson (Arkansas), Bill Munson (Utah State), David Mays (Texas Southern), Dan Manucci (Kansas State)*
RB - Terry Miller (Oklahoma State), Roland Hooks (North Carolina State), Mike Collier (Morgan State), Steve Powell (Northeast Missouri State) 
RB - Curtis Brown (Missouri), Dennis Johnson (Mississippi State) 
WR - Frank Lewis (Grambling), Lou Piccone (West Liberty State), John Holland (Tennessee State), Len Willis (Ohio State)
T- Ken Jones (Arkansas State, Craig Hertwig (Georgia), Elbert Drungo (Tennessee State), Jon Borchardt (Montana State)*
G - Reggie McKenzie (Michigan), Bill Adams (Holy Cross), Don Medlin (North Carolina State)
C - Willie Parker (North Texas State), Will Grant (Kentucky), Connie Zelencik (Purdue), Phil Olsen (Utah State)
G - Joe DeLamielleure (Michigan State), Bill Adams (Holy Cross)
T - Joe Devlin (Iowa), Eric Smith (Southern Mississippi)
TE - Reuben Gant (Oklahoma State), Mike Franckowiak (Central Michigan), Joe Shipp (USC)
WR - Bob Chandler (USC), Larry Walton (Arizona State), Willie Zachery (Central State-Ohio), Jerry Butler (Clemson)*

DEFENSE
E - Ben Williams (Mississippi), Scott Hutchinson (Florida), Ken Johnson (Knoxville)*
T - Mike Kadish (Notre Dame), Phil Dokes (Oklahoma State)                 
T - Dee Hardison (North Carolina), Mekeli Ieremia (Brigham Young), Dennis Johnson (Delaware), Fred Smerlas (Boston College)*
E - Sherman White (California), Scott Hutchinson (Florida)
LB - Shane Nelson (Baylor), Doug Becker (Notre Dame), Tom Ehlers (Kentucky), Tom Cousineau (Ohio State)* 
MLB- Tom Graham (Oregon), Randy McClanahan (Louisiana-Lafayette)
LB - Lucius Sanford (Georgia Tech), Dan Jilek (Michigan), Mario Celotto (USC), Jim Haslett (Indiana-Pennsylvania)
CB - Mario Clark (Oregon), Keith Moody (Syracuse)
S - Doug Jones (San Fernando Valley), Steve Freeman (Mississippi State), Bill Simpson (Michigan State), Rod Kush (Nebraska-Omaha)*
S - Tony Greene (Maryland), Marvin Switzer (Kansas State), Jeff Nixon (Richmond)*
CB - Charles Romes (North Carolina Central), Eddie McMillan (Florida State) 

KICKERS
K - Tom Dempsey (Palomar JC)
P - Rusty Jackson (LSU)

* rookie

-The Pocket Book of Pro Football 1979, published by Pocket Books, New York


OFFENSE
QB - Joe Ferguson (Arkansas) 12, Bill Munson (Utah State) 9, Dan Manucci (Kansas State)*
RB - Terry Miller (Oklahoma State) 40, Roland Hooks (North Carolina State) 25, Mike Collier (Morgan State) 35
FB - Curtis Brown (Missouri) 47, Dennis D. Johnson (Mississippi State) 39                         
WR - Jerry Butler (Clemson)*, Lou Piccone (West Liberty State) 89
T- Ken Jones (Arkansas State) 72, Jon Borchardt (Montana State)*
G - Reggie McKenzie (Michigan) 67, Bill Adams (Holy Cross) 60
C - Willie Parker (North Texas State) 61, Will Grant (Kentucky) 53
G - Joe DeLamielleure (Michigan State) 68
T - Joe Devlin (Iowa) 70
TE - Reuben Gant (Oklahoma State) 88, Joe Shipp (USC) 87
WR - Bob Chandler (USC) 81, Frank Lewis (Grambling) 82, Danny Fulton (Nebraska-Omaha)*

DEFENSE
DE - Ben Williams (Mississippi) 77, Ken Johnson (Knoxville)*
DT - Mike Kadish (Notre Dame) 71, Dee Hardison (North Carolina) 74, Dennis L. Johnson (Delaware) 75, Fred Smerlas (Boston College)*
DE - Sherman White (California) 83, Scott Hutchinson (Florida)*
OLB -  Isiah Robertson (Southern) 58, Chris Keating (Maine)* 
ILB - Jim Haslett (Indiana-Pennsylvania)*, Tom Cousineau (Ohio State)*
ILB - Shane Nelson (Baylor) 59, Tom Higgins (North Carolina State)*
OLB - Lucius Sanford (Georgia Tech) 57, Dan Jilek (Michigan) 51
CB - Mario Clark (Oregon) 29, Keith Moody (Syracuse) 46
SS - Steve Freeman (Mississippi State) 22, Doug Jones (San Fernando Valley) 24
FS - Tony Greene (Maryland) 43, Jeff Nixon (Richmond)*
CB- Charles Romes (North Carolina Central) 26, Eddie McMillan (Florida State) 41

KICKERS
K - Tom Dempsey (Palomar JC) 6
P - Rusty Jackson (LSU) 4
KR - Keith Moody (Syracuse) 46, Lou Piccone (West Liberty State) 89
PR - Keith Moody (Syracuse) 46, Jeff Nixon (Richmond)*

* rookie


1979 Buffalo Bills Profile Summary
Head Coach - Chuck Knox
QB - Joe Ferguson (Arkansas) 12
RB - Terry Miller (Oklahoma State) 40
RB - Roland Hooks (North Carolina State) 25
FB - Dennis D. Johnson (Mississippi State) 39
WR - Bob Chandler (USC) 81
WR - Jerry Butler (Clemson) 80
WR - Lou Piccone (West Liberty State) 89
TE - Reuben Gant (Oklahoma State) 88
C - Willie Parker (North Texas State) 61
G - Joe DeLamielleure (Michigan State) 68
G - Reggie McKenzie (Michigan) 67
T - Joe Devlin (Iowa) 70
T- Ken Jones (Arkansas State) 72

DT - Mike Kadish (Notre Dame) 71
DT - Dennis L. Johnson (Delaware) 75
DE - Sherman White (California) 83
DE - Ben Williams (Mississippi) 77
ILB - Tom Cousineau (Ohio State) 50
ILB - Merv Krakau (Iowa State) 52
OLB - Isiah Robertson (Southern) 58
OLB - Lucius Sanford (Georgia Tech) 57
CB - Mario Clark (Oregon) 29
CB- Charles Romes (North Carolina Central) 26
CB - Keith Moody (Syracuse) 46
SS - Steve Freeman (Mississippi State) 22
FS - Tony Greene (Maryland) 43

K - Tom Dempsey (Palomar JC) 6
K - Nick Mike-Mayer (Temple) 5
P - Rusty Jackson (LSU) 4
KR - Keith Moody (Syracuse) 46
PR - Keith Moody (Syracuse) 46

1979 Profile: Steve Freeman

Strong Safety
No. 22
Mississippi State
After playing all 14 games in each of his first three pro seasons, Steve played all 16 last year. He led all Buffalo defensive backs with 109 tackles, including 59 unassisted.
A three-year starter at Mississippi State, Steve led the team in interceptions his final two years. He played in the North-South and Senior Bowl games.