Trainer
"Since their formation in 1960, the Buffalo Bills have had only one trainer- Eddie Abramoski. An outstanding high school guard in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, Abramoski went to Purdue University on a football scholarship. A back injury, which required surgery, wrote an early end to his playing career and led to an interest in becoming an athletic trainer.
Following graduation, Eddie landed his first training job at the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York. He later moved to the University of Detroit as head trainer. While in Detroit, he moonlighted as a trainer with the Lions. He struck up an acquaintance with Detroit assistant coach Buster Ramsey, who took Abe with him to Buffalo when he was named the first head coach of the Bills in 1960."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
Saturday, May 30, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
1974 Profile: Elbert Dubenion
Talent Scout
"The Bills' career leader in every pass receiving category is Elbert 'Golden Wheels' Dubenion, one of the most popular players ever to wear a Buffalo uniform. Dubenion, a member of the 1960 club, retired as a player midway through the 1968 season to accept a full-time position with the scouting department. He was the last remaining member of the original Bills.
In his eight seasons as a player, Dubenion caught 296 passes for 5,424 yards and 36 touchdowns. All are Buffalo lifetime highs as are his marks of touchdown receptions in five consecutive games and pass receptions in 42 straight appearances. Duby is second to Cookie Gilchrist in Bills career scoring but ranks as the club's leader in touchdowns with 39.
A Little All-America at Bluffton College in 1958, Dubenion set a school record with 53 touchdowns in his four varsity seasons. He signed with the Browns in 1959 but was injured at the College All-Star camp. He was an instant success with the fledgling Bills in 1960, winning MVP honors his first season."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
"The Bills' career leader in every pass receiving category is Elbert 'Golden Wheels' Dubenion, one of the most popular players ever to wear a Buffalo uniform. Dubenion, a member of the 1960 club, retired as a player midway through the 1968 season to accept a full-time position with the scouting department. He was the last remaining member of the original Bills.
In his eight seasons as a player, Dubenion caught 296 passes for 5,424 yards and 36 touchdowns. All are Buffalo lifetime highs as are his marks of touchdown receptions in five consecutive games and pass receptions in 42 straight appearances. Duby is second to Cookie Gilchrist in Bills career scoring but ranks as the club's leader in touchdowns with 39.
A Little All-America at Bluffton College in 1958, Dubenion set a school record with 53 touchdowns in his four varsity seasons. He signed with the Browns in 1959 but was injured at the College All-Star camp. He was an instant success with the fledgling Bills in 1960, winning MVP honors his first season."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
Saturday, May 23, 2015
1974 Profile: Bob Celeri
Talent Scout
"California's Golden Bears reached the Rose Bowl in 1949 and 1950 thanks in large measure to the performance of All-America quarterback Bob Celeri. As an undergraduate at Cal, Celeri won four varsity letters with a two-year break in between for service in the U.S. Navy.
After playing in the 1950 Hula Bowl game, Celeri reported to the San Francisco 49ers, who had made him a high draft choice. Later traded to the New York Yankees, he first met Harvey Johnson, with whom he traveled a parallel path over the next 10 years. Bob moved from Dallas, where the Yankees had relocated, to Hamilton of the CFL in 1953, and a year later went to Kitchener where he quarterbacked six years and was a four-time MVP.
Leaving in 1960 to become head coach at Waterloo Lutheran University, he remained until joining Johnson with the Bills in 1968. Celeri became a permanent member of the Buffalo personnel department in 1969 and served as its interim director when Johnson returned to coaching during the 1971 season."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
"California's Golden Bears reached the Rose Bowl in 1949 and 1950 thanks in large measure to the performance of All-America quarterback Bob Celeri. As an undergraduate at Cal, Celeri won four varsity letters with a two-year break in between for service in the U.S. Navy.
After playing in the 1950 Hula Bowl game, Celeri reported to the San Francisco 49ers, who had made him a high draft choice. Later traded to the New York Yankees, he first met Harvey Johnson, with whom he traveled a parallel path over the next 10 years. Bob moved from Dallas, where the Yankees had relocated, to Hamilton of the CFL in 1953, and a year later went to Kitchener where he quarterbacked six years and was a four-time MVP.
Leaving in 1960 to become head coach at Waterloo Lutheran University, he remained until joining Johnson with the Bills in 1968. Celeri became a permanent member of the Buffalo personnel department in 1969 and served as its interim director when Johnson returned to coaching during the 1971 season."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
Friday, May 22, 2015
1974 Profile: Harvey Johnson
Director of Player Personnel
"Harvey Johnson was a member of the Buffalo Bills' original coaching staff and has served the club in a variety of positions, including head coach on two separate occasions. Defensive backfield skipper in 1960-61, Harvey was first appointed Director of Player Personnel in 1962, succeeding Lou Saban when Lou took over the football program. Harvey was Buffalo's head coach for 12 games of the 1968 season, following the abrupt dismissal of Joe Collier, and for the entire 1971 campaign.
A product of William & Mary, Johnson played for the Bainbridge Naval Training Center from 1943-45. A draft choice of the All-America Conference New York Yankees, Johnson played regularly in the pros as a defensive back but earned his principal recognition as a placement specialist, once stringing together 146 consecutive conversions.
Harvey remained with the New York franchise when it joined the NFL in 1950 but retired as a player in 1953 to take an assistant coaching job with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. He became head coach of the Kitchener team (Rugby Football Union) in 1954 and guided them to four titles in as many years. He left Kitchener to coach with the Montreal Alouettes from 1958-59."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
"Harvey Johnson was a member of the Buffalo Bills' original coaching staff and has served the club in a variety of positions, including head coach on two separate occasions. Defensive backfield skipper in 1960-61, Harvey was first appointed Director of Player Personnel in 1962, succeeding Lou Saban when Lou took over the football program. Harvey was Buffalo's head coach for 12 games of the 1968 season, following the abrupt dismissal of Joe Collier, and for the entire 1971 campaign.
A product of William & Mary, Johnson played for the Bainbridge Naval Training Center from 1943-45. A draft choice of the All-America Conference New York Yankees, Johnson played regularly in the pros as a defensive back but earned his principal recognition as a placement specialist, once stringing together 146 consecutive conversions.
Harvey remained with the New York franchise when it joined the NFL in 1950 but retired as a player in 1953 to take an assistant coaching job with the Hamilton Tiger Cats. He became head coach of the Kitchener team (Rugby Football Union) in 1954 and guided them to four titles in as many years. He left Kitchener to coach with the Montreal Alouettes from 1958-59."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
1974 Profile: Bob Shaw
Receivers Coach
"Bob Shaw, ex-Ohio State University athlete and veteran professional coach, works with the Bills' pass receivers. Shaw moved to Buffalo in 1972 from Chicago where he and Jim Ringo were members of the Bears' staff.
An All-America in football and basketball at Ohio State, Shaw was an end for Paul Browns' Buckeyes in the early 1940's, about the same time a quarterback named Lou Saban was starring for Indiana. Bob was selected to the All-Big Ten Conference first team and named to play in the College All-Star game.
He played professionally with the old Cleveland Rams and went to Los Angeles with them where he stayed until 1949. Traded to the Chicago Cardinals in 1950, Bob finished his career in the Windy City.
His coaching experience includes tours as a college and junior college mentor, several years as a pro assistant, and two different jobs as a head coach in the Canadian League. Shaw was a high school coach in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio at the time he was named receiver coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1957. He worked for two years in Baltimore before going to the 49ers in 1959. From 1960-62, Shaw was head football coach and athletic director at New Mexico Military Institute where his most prized product was Dallas Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach. He became head coach at Saskatchewan of the CFL in 1963 and switched to Toronto two years later. Bob was on the staff of the New Orleans Saints during the 1967-68 seasons and went to the Bears in 1969."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
"Bob Shaw, ex-Ohio State University athlete and veteran professional coach, works with the Bills' pass receivers. Shaw moved to Buffalo in 1972 from Chicago where he and Jim Ringo were members of the Bears' staff.
An All-America in football and basketball at Ohio State, Shaw was an end for Paul Browns' Buckeyes in the early 1940's, about the same time a quarterback named Lou Saban was starring for Indiana. Bob was selected to the All-Big Ten Conference first team and named to play in the College All-Star game.
He played professionally with the old Cleveland Rams and went to Los Angeles with them where he stayed until 1949. Traded to the Chicago Cardinals in 1950, Bob finished his career in the Windy City.
His coaching experience includes tours as a college and junior college mentor, several years as a pro assistant, and two different jobs as a head coach in the Canadian League. Shaw was a high school coach in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio at the time he was named receiver coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1957. He worked for two years in Baltimore before going to the 49ers in 1959. From 1960-62, Shaw was head football coach and athletic director at New Mexico Military Institute where his most prized product was Dallas Cowboy quarterback Roger Staubach. He became head coach at Saskatchewan of the CFL in 1963 and switched to Toronto two years later. Bob was on the staff of the New Orleans Saints during the 1967-68 seasons and went to the Bears in 1969."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
1974 Profile: Jim Ringo
Offensive Line Coach
"When the Green Bay Packers were the terrors of professional football, Jim Ringo was the Pack's captain and center. An All-Pro eight times and a Pro Bowl choice ten times, Ringo played in three consecutive NFL championship games. He was a member of he Pack's 1961 and 1962 title teams. Over 15 years, Ringo appeared in 182 straight games, establishing a new NFL record for endurance. Traded by the Packers after 11 seasons, he played four years for the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 1967.
Ringo won All-East acclaim at Syracuse University where he was a center and linebacker under Ben Schwartzwalder, and played in the 1953 Orange Bowl game. A seventh round draft choice of the Packers, Ringo was a key figure in the franchise's rise from also-ran to champion. He was Green Bay captain for eight seasons and was named to the Packer Hall of Fame in 1973.
Ringo entered pro coaching with the Chicago Bears in 1969. After three seasons in Chicago, Lou Saban hired Ringo and charged him with development of the Bills' offensive line. The payoff to Ringo's two years of building came this past fall when Buffalo cracked the NFL rushing record established by Miami in 1972 and became the first professional team ever to gain more than 3,000 yards on the ground."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
"When the Green Bay Packers were the terrors of professional football, Jim Ringo was the Pack's captain and center. An All-Pro eight times and a Pro Bowl choice ten times, Ringo played in three consecutive NFL championship games. He was a member of he Pack's 1961 and 1962 title teams. Over 15 years, Ringo appeared in 182 straight games, establishing a new NFL record for endurance. Traded by the Packers after 11 seasons, he played four years for the Philadelphia Eagles before retiring in 1967.
Ringo won All-East acclaim at Syracuse University where he was a center and linebacker under Ben Schwartzwalder, and played in the 1953 Orange Bowl game. A seventh round draft choice of the Packers, Ringo was a key figure in the franchise's rise from also-ran to champion. He was Green Bay captain for eight seasons and was named to the Packer Hall of Fame in 1973.
Ringo entered pro coaching with the Chicago Bears in 1969. After three seasons in Chicago, Lou Saban hired Ringo and charged him with development of the Bills' offensive line. The payoff to Ringo's two years of building came this past fall when Buffalo cracked the NFL rushing record established by Miami in 1972 and became the first professional team ever to gain more than 3,000 yards on the ground."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
Sunday, May 17, 2015
1974 Profile: John Ray
Linebacker Coach
"John Ray's varied coaching career includes experience at every level of the game- high school, college and professional.
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Ray has been closely associated with Notre Dame, as a student and football center for one year (1944) and for five seasons as an assistant coach. When his college education was interrupted by Army Service in World War II, Ray transferred from Notre Dame to Olivet College, where he received his B.A. degree in 1950.
Upon graduation, Ray immediately accepted a job as assistant football coach at Sturgis (Michigan) High School and, two years later, a head coaching position at Three Rivers (Michigan) High. Named to the University of Detroit staff in 1955, Ray served as an assistant for four seasons before becoming head coach at John Carroll University in Cleveland. His five-year record of 29-6 included three undefeated seasons and a string of six national defensive marks.
Ray left to join Ara Parseghian at Notre Dame, helping assemble the Irish's 1966 National Championship squad. He was Irish defensive coordinator for five seasons and assistant head coach, as well, for two. In December 1968, Ray was chosen head football coach at the University of Kentucky. He rebuilt the Wildcats' sagging football fortunes and , in the process, scored major upsets over Mississippi and Kansas State.
Ray became the Bills linebacker coach last season."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
"John Ray's varied coaching career includes experience at every level of the game- high school, college and professional.
A native of South Bend, Indiana, Ray has been closely associated with Notre Dame, as a student and football center for one year (1944) and for five seasons as an assistant coach. When his college education was interrupted by Army Service in World War II, Ray transferred from Notre Dame to Olivet College, where he received his B.A. degree in 1950.
Upon graduation, Ray immediately accepted a job as assistant football coach at Sturgis (Michigan) High School and, two years later, a head coaching position at Three Rivers (Michigan) High. Named to the University of Detroit staff in 1955, Ray served as an assistant for four seasons before becoming head coach at John Carroll University in Cleveland. His five-year record of 29-6 included three undefeated seasons and a string of six national defensive marks.
Ray left to join Ara Parseghian at Notre Dame, helping assemble the Irish's 1966 National Championship squad. He was Irish defensive coordinator for five seasons and assistant head coach, as well, for two. In December 1968, Ray was chosen head football coach at the University of Kentucky. He rebuilt the Wildcats' sagging football fortunes and , in the process, scored major upsets over Mississippi and Kansas State.
Ray became the Bills linebacker coach last season."
-Buffalo Bills 1974 Yearbook
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