RIP Billy Shaw

Buffalo Bills OL (1961-69), dies at 85. He is the only player in the Hall of Fame to never play in the NFL; his entire career was spent in the American Football League. A mainsstay of the 1964 and 1965 AFL champions. RIP, # 66.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Billy Shaw — a shining star of American Football League — dies | Pro Football Hall of Fame (profootballhof.com)

 

Billy Shaw had an interesting journey. He wasn't even the best player on his own high school team. That was Richard Price, who was an All-SEC and All-America linebacker at Ole Miss. Shaw credited Price with taking him to the next level because working against him in practice every day was such a chore.
Price was highly recruited, and Shaw only got a few offers. One was from Georgia Tech, and he signed there because Bobby Dodd brought along George Morris — a College Football Hall of Famer who was from Shaw's hometown — on the recruiting visit.

At the 1960 college all-star game, Shaw got switched from the defensive line to the offensive line on a whim by Otto Graham. Then he was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys, who wanted him to be a linebacker, and the 14th round by the Bills who wanted him to play guard. Dodd convinced him to go with the Bills because he thought Shaw was a better fit. The rest is history. He definitely had a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and making the right decision when the road forked.

Good story here on the lifelong relationship Shaw and Price shared.