Bill Polian Inducted Into Pro Football Hall Of Fame

The longtime NFL executive was a key player in the construction of the Buffalo Bills in the early nineties, the Peyton Manning era Indianapolis Colts, and in between those two, Polian helped build the early Carolina Panthers from a thought to a 12-4 playoff team in 1996.

Legendary coach Marv Levy presented Polian at the ceremony and in a video package from NFL Films.

In the end, Polian is likely the best general manager the Bills’ franchise has ever employed.

Polian’s crowning achievement with the Bills, and probably as an NFL executive, was signing Jim Kelly after the USFL folded in August of 1986.

Polian is quick to point out that the most important player in the Bills renaissance never played a single down. But detractors be damned, he is a Hall of Famer. Of Jim Irsay, Polian said that he “had a vision for his Colts and allowed us to make it a reality”, praising Irsay’s loyalty and dedication to winning.

The Bills would advance to their fourth straight Super Bowl the following year, but lost that game as well.

Three years later, the newly formed Panthers hired him as the general manager. Shutdown Corner will profile the eight new Hall of Famers, looking at each of their careers and their impact on the game.

“Didn’t even have to interview him”, he says. The 1997 season was an unexpected and turbulent season for the Colts. Two Super Bowl appearances, including a win in 2006, with the Colts. Lindy Infante was heading into his second season as head coach of the Colts after taking over the reigns from former coach Ted Marchibroda.

A number of Bills from those 1990s teams came to cheer on their general manager. But one must consider the fact that all that success began with his first major move in reshaping the team. But with Manning watching from the crowd, Polian had a personal message for “No. 18”.

Bill Polian told Keefer, “Still, I often joke that if I had picked Ryan Leaf, I’d be parking cars at Lucas Oil Stadium”. Manning was expected back in Denver in time for Sunday’s practice. “If you draft me, I promise we’ll win a championship”.

Polian helped the Bills to the Super Bowl three times and quickly helped people forget the Panthers were an expansion team when they reached the NFC Championship Game in their second year in the league.

In his 18th NFL season, Manning will be making his first trip to visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

That one decision altered the future football around the state of Indiana.

Bill Polian, the former president of the Indianapolis, thanked his former players and colleagues, from Kansas City to Buffalo to Carolina to Indianapolis. During that same span, the Colts were 131-61 a. 682 winning percentage.

For all the gratitude Polian has for Levy, he also did his bit, helping build the Bills into a consistent contender. He’s known for selecting Peyton Manning with the No. 1 overall pick in 1998. “I stand here on your shoulders, I am here because of you and I am forever grateful”. “I don’t think they would have believed it, but I know they’re proud”.

“There is a mural atop the entrance to Lucas Oil Stadium depicting scenes from our Super Bowl season”, Polian said Saturday. Before they never had a real reason to support the Colts.

“The impossible dreams have all come true”, Polian said.

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