Bills Owner Ralph Wilson, 'Conscience' of the NFL, Inducted Into Hall

CANTON, Ohio -- A Buffalo Bills fan at Saturday's Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony honored the franchise's founder/owner Ralph Wilson in an appropriate way: the man wore a Bills-emblazoned hard hat adorned with spinning covered wagons.

That symbolizes how Wilson staunchly defends his small market franchise, which has experienced large market success under his loving watch: two AFL championships (1964-65) and four AFC titles in 1990-93 that led to an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.

Often described as the "conscience" of the NFL, Wilson's legacy as one of the founding fathers of the American Football League received the ultimate validation when he was the first of the Class of 2009 to be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame.

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"I always wanted to own a football team so I would have a little something to say about it," said Wilson, who chose ESPN personality Chris Berman as his presenter.

Wilson's cemented his place in pro football lore when he loaned his struggling AFL rival Oakland Raiders $400,000 to help keep the fledgling league afloat.

"I went to my first pro football game in 1935," Wilson, 91, told a Fawcett Stadium crowd dominated by Bills fans that braved midday thunderstorms in Canton. "The Lions were playing the Bears. Since that time, I have been an avid pro football fan."

Wilson recalled reading in 1959 that future Hall of Famers Lamar Hunt and Bud Adams were starting a football league. Always willing to take risks, Wilson sold his share of the Detroit Lions and ponied up the $25,000 AFL founder's fee. The AFL folks offered him the Miami franchise.

"I picked Buffalo," he told the estimated crowd of 12,000, drawing huge cheers.

The original eight AFL owners became known as "The Foolish Club" for their audacity, starting their own football league to rival the established NFL. Half a century later, Wilson's persistence has more than paid off, for the league and for his franchise.

Wilson thanked his late daughter, Linda Bogdan, who was the first female scout in the NFL and served as the Bills' corporate vice president until her death earlier this year following a bout with cancer. Bogdan was 61.

"She was the only female scout in the league, and she was a good one," Wilson said.

Wilson closed with a line that left the Fawcett Stadium crowd laughing and served as a perfect setup for pass rusher Bruce Smith's induction that was to come later in the evening.

"I share the stage with some great players who played the game. I didn't," said Wilson, who enters the Hall as a contributor. "I played tennis. Because when you play tennis, you don't have to face the rush of Bruce Smith. And you go home without any bruises, and clean clothes."

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Ralph Wilson, Jr., left, founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, unveils his bronze bust with his presenter Chris Berman during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)

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Founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson Jr. speaks during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Richard)

Ralph Wilson Jr., fourth from left, owner of the Buffalo Bills, poses with his bust and former Buffalo Bills players, from left to right, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, Marv Levy, Joe DeLamielleure, James Lofton, Billy Shaw and Jim Kelly during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, Ralph Wilson Jr., stands with his bronze bust during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. Wilson is part of the Class of 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

Ralph Wilson, Jr., left, founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, stands with his bronze bust and his presenter Chris Berman, right, during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

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A Pittsburgh Steelers fan, right, waves his Terrible Towel during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. Former Pittsburgh Steelers, San Franscisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders player Rod Woodson is part of the Class of 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

A Buffalo Bills fan, center, cheers during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. Founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills' Ralph Wilson Jr. and former Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins player Bruce Smith are part of the Class of 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

A Pittsburgh Steelers fan, right, waves his Terrible Towel during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. Former Pittsburgh Steelers, San Franscisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Oakland Raiders player Rod Woodson is part of the Class of 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

A Bob Hayes fan cheers during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, in Canton, Ohio. Former Dallas Cowboys and San Fransisco 49ers player Hayes is part of the inducted Class of 2009. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)