Hansen lost to Kent Eken, who earned 52 percent of the vote to Hansen’s 48 percent. Hansen was running as a Republican candidate.

Hull’s alma mater Mississippi State has announced that Hull will be the newest addition to the school’s Ring of Honor at Scott Field. The ceremony will be held on Sept. 8th. Hull, who was a three-time Pro Bowl center for the Bills, was also a three-year starter for the Bulldogs.

In his college career, he was most famously known for being part of the 1980 team that upset No. 1 Alabama. Hull tragically passed last October.

As written in an informative piece about Talley’s high school days in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the linebacker was barely recruited out of high school because he broke his ankle in the summer workouts before his senior season and played in just three games.

But when he did play he was a menace. And despite redshirting his freshman year with the Mountaineers, Talley went on to become a consensus All-American LB in 1982.

We preface this list with the following clarifier. Polian was formally appointed GM of the club on Dec. 30, 1985, and was first hired on Aug. 2nd, 1984 as Pro Personnel Director, but he along with Director of College Scouting Norm Pollom were handling GM duties after Terry Bledsoe suffered a heart attack the February before the 1985 draft. So he certainly had a hand in the 1985 draft that included Bruce Smith and Andre Reed, but to attach full weight for those decisions to Polian might be misguided. As such we ‘ve put those player acquisitions a bit lower on the list than some might expect. But here are the best moves put together by the only six-time NFL Executive of the Year.

10 - Drafting Wil Wolford – Rd. 1 – 1986 – Wolford was the blind side protector needed for Buffalo’s offense to take a needed step forward.

9 - Drafting Howard Ballard – Rd. 11 – 1987 – The 11th rounder was two-time Pro Bowler and anchored the Bills right side.

8 - Claiming Steve Tasker off waivers - 1986 - Claiming Tasker gave Buffalo perhaps the best special teamer in the history of the NFL.

7 – Signing Kent Hull – 1986  – Polian signed Hull away from the folding USFL and had Jim Kelly’s security blanket for 10 seasons.

6 - Drafting Andre Reed – Rd. 4 – 1985 - Reed became the team’s all-time leading WR and likely Hall of Famer.

5 - Drafting Bruce Smith – Rd. 1 – 1985 - The all-time leader in sacks was a terror off the edge and linchpin of Buffalo’s Super Bowl defenses.

4 - Hiring Marv Levy – 1986 – Polian crossed paths with Levy in KC and the CFL and knew he could manage the club’s big personalities.

3 - Drafting Thurman Thomas – Rd. 2 – 1988 – The value in selecting the Hall of Fame RB is tough to beat as he was the engine of the 90′s offenses.

2 - Trading for Cornelius Bennett – 1987 – Called the trade of the decade by the NY Times, it was the most complicated and cunning moves of his tenure as Bills GM with three teams involved along with a former first-round pick in Greg Bell and Hall of Fame RB Eric Dickerson. More importantly it made the Buffalo front seven one of the most feared in football. 

1 - Getting Jim Kelly signed – 1986 – Kelly was more than staunch in his stance that he would not play for the Bills even with the USFL struggling to stay afloat. Polian’s unrelenting negotiating tactics eventually got the deal done and put Buffalo in a position to be a successful franchise for a decade.

Think we forgot a big move, draft choice or player acquisition? Feel free to make your suggestions.

If you consider yourself a true Bills fan, but were too young to remember Sestak I encourage you to read this piece from the American Press.

Phil Hansen conference call

Hansen always had a keen awareness of where the ball was at all times, which largely explains why he was able to get to so many loose balls in his Bills tenure.

The defensive end holds the team record for most fumble recoveries in the playoffs with three and stands fifth in Bills annals with 10 fumble recoveries in his career. Hansen also had eight forced fumbles in his career.

Edgerson will officially go on the Bills Wall of Fame on Oct. 3, at halftime of the home game against the Jets.