DIES @ 50
JAMES KENT HULL (JANUARY 13, 1961-OCTOBER 18, 2011)
He was the Buffalo Bills center who made the line calls helping the team get to four straight Superbowls. He earned his respect through his play on the field knowing when to speak without screaming or intense mental psyche techniques during pregame warm-ups. His Elvis drawl gave him an edge so when he spoke to the team or in private conversations everyone paid attention.
Jim Kelly stated during the Superbowl years that when Kent Hull retired he would no longer quarterback the team. So in 1997 both Kelly and Hull both announced their retirement leaving with a proud history of teamwork on one of the most powerful offenses in the NFL. Making a line call change moments before the snap of the ball was what made Kent Hull invaluable.
The Buffalo area will mourn the loss of Hull for a long time as he gave us so much to be proud of on and off the field. The news personnel took him out to lunch at the end of his career to thank him for always making himself available for an interview. No rainstorm would keep him from giving a great interview with amazing sound bites. During the bickering Bills days he was never afraid to be interviewed and playing mediator with the media.
One of the few players for the Bills or any team to start their career on the practice squad and make it all the way to a Superbowl. His goal seemed to be more about the team than individual statistics. These style players a few and far between as the game has shifted to a job with high stakes dollars on the line every week. This is not to say that Kent Hull or any other Buffalo Bill player was not compensated well for their time on the field. The Bills were indebted to many players who were willing to stretch out their payments over many years in the future to keep the team intact.
Players of Hull's quiet style will rarely ever take the field of play in any sport now or in the future. The players who stood on the line with Hull have the utmost for him as a player and a friend. He will be missed but remembered every Sunday during home games as his name is part of the Wall of Fame inside the stadium.
It becomes harder to write obituaries people who I have looked up to and respected over the years. My Hull jersey was stolen from our band room years ago and is now irreplaceable. Picking my favorite professional players starts with their need to be less of the star and more the person they really are. Kent Hull had that exact personality of being more the guy next door than the need to shine with his finger pointed at himself or the sky.
RUSTY
10/18/11