[Editor’s note: This article has been updated with statistics from the 2020 NFL season for active players.]
What if Daryl Johnston, Rob Gronkowski and Chandler Jones could combine forces and represent Western New York on a territorial all-star team for the ages?
Welcome to Homegrown Legends, a series of mythical all-star rosters composed of the best players in pro football history from each current NFL market. This is a new twist on the age-old debates about which states and cities produce the best football talent.
We have envisioned the NFL’s greatest superstars representing their hometowns, states and regions with lineups that transcend the history of football. Below, the best professional players from the Buffalo-Niagara area and Western New York are represented through the prism of an all-time Bills dream team.
To explain the background of our Homegrown Legends, we discuss their high school and college roots in the article below. However, the selections were based strictly on NFL performance. In most cases, hometown eligibility was determined by where an athlete played the majority of his high school career. Each team’s territorial draft area is slightly different, and we explain our selection methodology in detail in this article.
So suspend your disbelief and imagine these superstars teaming up to rep Buffalo on the field.
More teams:
Dal / NYG / Phi / Was // Chi / Det / GB / Min // Atl / Car / NO / TB // Ari / LAR / SF / Sea //// Buf / Mia / NE / NYJ // Bal / Cin / Cle / Pit // Hou / Ind / Jax / Ten // Den / KC / LV / LAC
- Doug Farrar: Ranking the 32 Homegrown Legends rosters
QB Ron Jaworski
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Known far and wide as “Jaws” from his many years as an NFL analyst on television, the Lackawanna native played 16 years in the NFL, predominantly with the Eagles. He helped the Birds reach Super Bowl XV in the 1980 season, earning a Pro Bowl invitation that year. In his career, he registered 28,190 passing yards and 179 touchdown passes. Jaworski edges out Depew High alum Don Majkowski for our starting job under center.
RB Dorsey Levens
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Levens personally proved Mel Kiper Jr. wrong following the 1994 draft, when the analyst called him “the most overrated player on the board.” The Syracuse native and Nottingham High alum won Super Bowl XXXI with the Packers and was a 1997 Pro Bowler. Levens rushed for 1,000-plus yards twice in his career, and he registered 7,289 yards from scrimmage, 304 receptions and 53 total touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons. A fifth-round draft pick out of Georgia Tech, he was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
WR Fred Biletnikoff
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Biletnikoff is a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, which ordinarily might seem a bit outside the Buffalo area. But when one of the great receivers in NFL history is available, we make an exception. A graduate of Eric Technical High, he became a consensus All-America selection at Florida State, recording 70 receptions for 1,179 yards and 15 touchdowns in 1964.
Oakland selected him No. 11 overall in the 1965 AFL draft, and he went on to enjoy a brilliant, 14-year career with the Raiders. He was named to two AFL All-Star Games and four Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XI. Biletnikoff, who registered 589 receptions for 8,974 yards and 76 touchdowns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
WR Phil McConkey
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What McConkey might have lacked in size and speed, he made up for with grit and determination. A Buffalo native and graduate of Canisius High, he went on to play college football at the Naval Academy and led the Midshipmen in receiving as a junior and senior. After completing a five-year military commitment, McConkey caught on with the New York Giants and became a return specialist and offensive role player.
McConkey is perhaps best known for his touchdown catch off the fingers of teammate Mark Bavaro in the Giants’ Super Bowl XXI victory. McConkey recorded 67 receptions and 4,269 all-purpose yards in six NFL seasons with the Giants, Packers, Cardinals and Chargers.
FB Daryl Johnston
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Johnston hails from Youngstown, New York, and earned Western New York Player of the Year honors at Lewiston-Porter High. He became a standout at Syracuse University and was drafted in the second round by the Cowboys in 1989.
Johnston, who earned the nickname Moose in Dallas, would play his entire 11-year NFL career for the Cowboys. He won three Super Bowls and was named to two Pro Bowl squads with the great Dallas teams of the 1990s. Johnston registered 2,980 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns as a pro and went on to a successful broadcasting career after retiring as a player.
TE Rob Gronkowski
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Gronk might have played his senior year of high school football in the Pittsburgh area, but he’s Buffalo through and through. The Amherst native attended Williamsville North High for three years and was named first-team All-Western New York as a junior. Despite missing his junior season at the University of Arizona after back surgery, Gronkowski was drafted in the second round in 2010 by New England, where he became one of Tom Brady’s favorite weapons.
Gronkowski recorded 521 receptions for 7,861 yards and 79 touchdowns and earned five Pro Bowl invitations in nine seasons with the Patriots.
After a year away from football in 2019, Gronk reunited with Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster. Gronkowski registered 45 receptions for 623 yards and seven touchdowns in the 2020 regular season. He then caught six passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns in the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV victory over the Chiefs.
OT Vaughn Parker
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Parker is a Buffalo native who earned first-team All-Western New York honors at St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute. He played college football at UCLA and became the second offensive player in Bruins history to be named first-team all-conference three consecutive seasons.
Parker played 10 seasons for the San Diego Chargers after being drafted in the second round in 1994. He played 122 regular-season games and four postseason contests for the Chargers, including Super Bowl XXIX, and concluded his pro career with a brief stop in Washington in 2004.
OT Justin Strzelczyk
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Strzelczyk was a football and basketball standout at West High in West Seneca. He played tight end and offensive line at the University of Maine before becoming a Division I-AA All-American as a defensive lineman. Strzelczyk switched back to offensive line after the Steelers drafted him in the 11th round in 1990, and he went on to play his entire nine-year pro career with Pittsburgh.
The 6-foot-6, 305-pounder played in 133 regular-season NFL games and 11 postseason contests, including Super Bowl XXX. Strzelczyk died in an auto accident during a high-speed police chase on the New York State Thruway in 2004 and later was diagnosed with one of the first cases of the degenerative brain disease CTE.
G Jim Dombrowski
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Dombrowski holds the honor of being the highest NFL draft pick ever from Western New York — No. 6 overall to the Saints in 1986. An All-Western New York performer at Williamsville South High, he became a consensus All-American at the University of Virginia. He started 137 of 151 career regular-season games for the Saints and also appeared in four postseason contests.
Dombrowski was enshrined in the Saints Hall of Fame in 2003, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
G Craig Wolfley
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Wolfley was a standout at Orchard Park High and Syracuse University who went on to a 12-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Minnesota Vikings. He played in 153 regular-season games in his career, mostly at left guard, and appeared in six postseason contests. Wolfley was named to Syracuse’s All-Century Team in 2000 and inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
C Tom Rafferty
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Rafferty is a Syracuse native who honed his football skills at Fayetteville-Manlius High and Penn State. Dallas selected him in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL draft, and he rewarded the Cowboys with 14 seasons as an anchor on the offensive line.
The durable Rafferty played in 203 regular-season games for Dallas, including 167 in a row at one point, and 18 postseason contests. He won Super Bowl XII with the Cowboys and was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
DL Jim Burt
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Burt played football and hockey at Orchard Park High, where he was a teammate of Craig Wolfley, and earned a scholarship to the University of Miami. Despite recording 177 tackles for the Hurricanes and earning Defensive MVP honors at the 1981 Peach Bowl, Burt wasn’t selected in the NFL draft. He entered the NFL as a free agent and played eight seasons with the New York Giants and three with the San Francisco 49ers, winning a Super Bowl with each team.
Burt, credited with inventing the Gatorade shower by former Giants teammate Harry Carson, was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
DL Joe Ehrmann
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Ehrmann is a Buffalo native who played on both sides of the ball at Riverside High before emerging as a standout at Syracuse University. He was drafted No. 10 overall by the Baltimore Colts in 1973 and played 10 NFL seasons – eight with the Colts and two with the Detroit Lions.
Ehrmann played in 121 regular-season NFL games, starting 76, and also appeared in four postseason games. He wrapped up his playing career with three seasons in the USFL.
After retiring from pro football, Ehrmann became a minister and performed extensive charitable work in the Baltimore area. He was named to Syracuse’s All-Century Team in 2000 and named to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
DL Jeff Yeates
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Yeates was born in Buffalo and became an all-Western New York performer at Cardinal O’Hara High. He played college football at Boston College and was drafted in the fourth round by the Bills in 1973. After three-plus seasons with his hometown team, Yeates was waived by the Bills and picked up by the Falcons. He emerged as a starter in Atlanta, a role he held for six of his eight-plus seasons with the Falcons. Yeates tied a Falcons single-season record with five fumble recoveries in 1979 and was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
DL Mike Mamula
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Mamula was a football, basketball and track standout at Lackawanna High before earning a scholarship to Boston College. He recorded 24 sacks in three varsity seasons for the Eagles, including 13 in 1994. Philadelphia selected him No. 7 overall in 1995 after an extraordinary performance at the scouting combine led his draft stock to skyrocket. Mamula recorded 31½ sacks, eight forced fumbles and six fumble recoveries as a pro, but injuries forced him to retire after five seasons with the Eagles.
LB Bill Bergey
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Bergey, a native of South Dayton, New York, took a circuitous route to a pro career by playing college football at Arkansas State. He was a second-round draft pick by Cincinnati and was named to the AFL All-Star Game as a rookie in 1969.
The Bengals traded Bergey to Philadelphia in 1974 for two first-round picks and a second-rounder, and he proceeded to earn Pro Bowl invitations in four of his first five seasons with the Eagles. He became the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player when he signed a four-year, $1 million contract in 1976, and he retired after reaching Super Bowl XV with the Eagles in the 1980 season.
The Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame added Bergey as a member in 2004.
LB Shane Conlan
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A native of Frewsburg, New York, Conlan went on to become one of the greatest linebackers in Penn State history. He was a consensus All-America selection and won the national championship with the Nittany Lions in the 1986 season.
Conlan was drafted No. 8 overall by Buffalo in 1987, and he made three Super Bowl appearances and earned three Pro Bowl invitations with the Bills. He played the final three seasons of his NFL career with the Rams. Conlan was named to the Bills’ all-time team for the franchise’s 50th anniversary and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2014.
LB Chandler Jones
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Jones boasts connections all over Upstate New York. He was born in Rochester, attended high school downstate in Endicott, then attended Syracuse to play college ball. Jones developed into a first-team All-Big East performer for the Orange and was drafted in the first round by New England in 2012. He won a Super Bowl and earned a Pro Bowl nod in four seasons with the Patriots.
After a trade to the Arizona Cardinals in 2016, Jones was named to two more Pro Bowl squads and earned first-team All-Pro status twice. He led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2017 and has registered 97 career sacks in his first nine pro seasons.
Jones was limited to five games in 2020 because of a biceps injury.
CB Corey Graham
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Graham was a standout on both sides of the ball at Turner-Carroll High in Buffalo, earning All-Western New York accolades on his way to a college career at the University of New Hampshire. He recorded 12 interceptions and 302 tackles at UNH in addition to providing explosive plays as a punt and kick returner.
Graham was a fifth-round draft pick by Chicago in 2007 and went on to play 12 NFL seasons with the Bears, Ravens, Bills and Eagles. He was a member of Super Bowl-winning teams in Baltimore and Philadelphia, and earned a Pro Bowl invitation with Chicago in the 2011 season.
CB Will Allen
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Allen, a Syracuse native, attended Corcoran High in his hometown and stuck around to play college ball at Syracuse University. He earned first-team All-Big East honors for the Orange, recording 142 tackles and four interceptions during his college career. Allen played 11 NFL seasons with the Giants and Dolphins after being drafted in the first round in 2001.
Allen recorded 15 interceptions in 140 career regular-season games as a pro. After his playing career, he was sentenced to prison for his involvement in running a Ponzi scheme.
S Mark Murphy
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Murphy played football, baseball and basketball at Clarence High in suburban Buffalo, and later at Colgate University. Although undrafted in 1977, he would go on to enjoy an eight-year NFL career with Washington. Murphy played in two Super Bowls, winning one, and recorded 27 career interceptions. He led the NFL with nine interceptions in 1983, earning a Pro Bowl invitation and first-team All-Pro honors.
The former athletic director at Colgate at Northwestern University, Murphy has served as president and CEO of the Green Bay Packers since 2008. He was named to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
S Tyvon Branch
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Branch is a Syracuse native who excelled in football and track at Cicero-North Syracuse High. He played college football at Connecticut, recording 230 tackles and three interceptions in four seasons with the Huskies.
Oakland drafted Branch in the fourth round in 2008, and he went on to play 10 NFL seasons with the Raiders, Chiefs and Cardinals. He played in 106 regular-season games as a pro, starting 82, and made two appearances in postseason games.
ST Ron Wolfley
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A graduate of Frontier High in Hamburg, Wolfley is our special teams captain. The younger brother of Craig Wolfley, he was named to four Pro Bowls as a special-teamer during a decade-long NFL career with the Cardinals, Browns and Rams.
K Steve Christie
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Christie is a native of Oakville, Ontario, who kicked for the Bills from 1992 through 2000. He’s still the team’s all-time leading scorer with 1,011 points. He scored 1,476 total points during his NFL career, which also included stints with Tampa Bay, San Diego and the New York Giants.
P Brett Kern
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A Grand Island, New York, native, Kern is a three-time Pro Bowler who earned first-team All-Pro honors last season. He has played 13 NFL seasons with the Titans and Broncos.
