Fansided

Buffalo Bills all-time Mount Rushmore

By William Schneiderhan

Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly (12) celebrates a tad early during Super Bowl XXV, a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants on January 27, 1991, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Rob Brown/Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly (12) celebrates a tad early during Super Bowl XXV, a 20-19 loss to the New York Giants on January 27, 1991, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Rob Brown/Getty Images) /
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2 Dec 1990: Running back Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills runs with the ball during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills won the game, 30-23.
2 Dec 1990: Running back Thurman Thomas of the Buffalo Bills runs with the ball during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The Bills won the game, 30-23. /

3. Thurman Thomas, RB (1988-99)

Most of the members who made the K-Gun offense so dominant were drafted by the Bills in a five-year window.

Kelly was taken in 1983, but of course did not come to the NFL until 1986. Reed was selected in 1985, and then the team rounded out the unit with the franchise’s all-time rushing leader Thurman Thomas in 1988. James Lofton, another headlining name on that offense for a few years, was not drafted by the team.

When O.J. Simpson left Buffalo, the team had not been able to replace the superstar immediately. From 1978-87, the team cycled through Terry Miller, Curtis Brown, Joe Cribbs, Greg Bell, Robb Riddick and Ronnie Harmon.

Thomas was essentially the “last piece to the puzzle”. In his rookie year, the team went 12-4 and made it to the AFC Championship game. However, it wasn’t until 1990 when Marv Levy and Walt Corey implemented an offensive scheme that finally launched the Bills into the upper echelon of the NFL.

That year, the K-Gun offense was adopted. The run and gun, no huddle offense was explosive, and Thomas, Kelly, Reed and Lofton were the reasons why.

In his rookie year, Thomas ran for 881 yards. From 1989-96, he ran for over 1,000 yards every season. Within the offensive onslaught, he was an effective pass catcher as well, posting four straight seasons of 530+ receiving yards.

Thomas was the answer at running back for years in Buffalo. To get that longevity out of a running back is remarkable, and Thomas did it all. His 16,532 career yards from scrimmage are 12th all-time in the NFL, and he led the league in that category four consecutive years from 1989-92.

The former second-round pick is the team’s all-time leading rusher as well with 11,938 yards and 65 rushing scores. His 4,341 receiving yards rank sixth best in team history.

Thomas was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2007. He retired with five Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections, as well as an MVP and AP Offensive Player of the Year award.

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