1981 Buffalo Bills Roster
National Football League (NFL)
Team Record: 10-6
Finishing 3rd in the NFL's East Division of the American Football Conference
Postseason: 1-1 Lost Division Playoff
Coach: Chuck Knox (10-6)
Location: Buffalo, New York
1981 Buffalo Bills StatisticsTeam Record: 10-6
Finishing 3rd in the NFL's East Division of the American Football Conference
Postseason: 1-1 Lost Division Playoff
Coach: Chuck Knox (10-6)
Location: Buffalo, New York
1981 Buffalo Bills Results
The Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ended the 1981 season with a record of 10 wins and 6 losses, finishing third in the NFL's East Division of the American Football Conference. The team compiled a postseason mark of 1-1.
The Bills scored 311 points, and the rigid defensive squad yielded 276. Joe Ferguson directed the offense, throwing for 3,652 yards. Frank Lewis topped all receivers, hauling in 70 balls for 1,244 yards, while Jerry Butler contributed to the receiving game, too.
Joe Cribbs rushed for a team-leading 1,097 yards for Buffalo.
Mario Clark picked off 5 opponent throws.
Chuck Knox coached the team. The 1981 Buffalo Bills lost in the Division Playoff.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 87 | Steve Alvers | TE-C | April 4, 1957 | 6'4" | 240 | Taft | Palm Beach, FL USA | 16 | 0 |
| 84 | Buster Barnett | TE | November 24, 1958 | 6'5" | 228 | Jackson St. | Macon, MS USA | 16 | 0 |
| 28 | Rufus Bess | DB | September 13, 1956 | 5'9" | 184 | South Carolina St. | Hartsville, SC USA | 16 | 0 |
| 73 | Jon Borchardt | LG | August 13, 1957 | 6'5" | 260 | Montana St. | Minneapolis, MN USA | 16 | 9 |
| 86 | Mark Brammer | TE | May 3, 1958 | 6'3" | 238 | Michigan St. | Traverse City, MI USA | 16 | 16 |
| 47 | Curtis Brown | FB | December 7, 1954 | 5'10" | 203 | Missouri | St. Louis, MO USA | 14 | 8 |
| 80 | Jerry Butler | WR | October 12, 1957 | 6'0" | 178 | Clemson | Ware Shoals, SC USA | 16 | 16 |
| 7 | Greg Cater | P | April 17, 1957 | 6'0" | 191 | Tenn-Chattanooga | La Grange, GA USA | 16 | 0 |
| 29 | Mario Clark | LCB | March 29, 1954 | 6'2" | 194 | Oregon | Pasadena, CA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 20 | Joe Cribbs | RB | January 5, 1958 | 5'11" | 190 | Auburn | Sulligent, AL USA | 15 | 15 |
| 70 | Joe Devlin | RT | February 23, 1954 | 6'5" | 261 | Iowa | Phoenixville, PA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 69 | Conrad Dobler | RG | October 1, 1950 | 6'3" | 254 | Wyoming | Chicago, IL USA | 14 | 13 |
| 12 | Joe Ferguson | QB | April 23, 1950 | 6'1" | 195 | Arkansas | Alvin, TX USA | 16 | 16 |
| 85 | Byron Franklin | KR | September 4, 1958 | 6'1" | 179 | Auburn | Florence, AL USA | 13 | 0 |
| 22 | Steve Freeman | SS | May 8, 1953 | 5'11" | 185 | Mississippi St. | Lamesa, TX USA | 16 | 16 |
| 53 | Will Grant | C | March 7, 1954 | 6'3" | 254 | Idaho St. | Milton, MA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 55 | Jim Haslett | LILB | December 9, 1955 | 6'3" | 232 | Indiana (PA) | Pittsburgh, PA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 25 | Roland Hooks | PR | January 2, 1953 | 6'0" | 197 | North Carolina St. | Brooklyn, NY USA | 16 | 1 |
| 50 | Mike Humiston | LB | January 8, 1959 | 6'3" | 238 | Weber St. | Oceanside, CA USA | 16 | 0 |
| 97 | Darrell Irvin | DE | January 21, 1957 | 6'4" | 259 | Oklahoma | Pawhuska, OK USA | 13 | 0 |
| 81 | Ron Jessie | WR | February 4, 1948 | 6'0" | 185 | Kansas | Yuma, AZ USA | 15 | 0 |
| 91 | Ken Johnson | DE | March 25, 1955 | 6'5" | 253 | Knoxville | Nashville, TN USA | 16 | 0 |
| 72 | Ken Jones | LT | December 1, 1952 | 6'5" | 260 | Arkansas St. | St. Louis, MO USA | 15 | 15 |
| 71 | Mike Kadish | DT-NT | May 27, 1950 | 6'5" | 270 | Notre Dame | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 16 | 0 |
| 52 | Chris Keating | LB | October 12, 1957 | 6'2" | 223 | Maine | Boston, MA USA | 2 | 2 |
| 42 | Rod Kush | DB | December 29, 1956 | 6'0" | 188 | Nebraska-Omaha | Omaha, NE USA | 16 | 0 |
| 48 | Roosevelt Leaks | FB | January 31, 1953 | 5'10" | 225 | Texas | Brenham, TX USA | 16 | 5 |
| 82 | Frank Lewis | WR | July 4, 1947 | 6'1" | 196 | Grambling St. | Houma, LA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 61 | Tom Lynch | G | May 24, 1955 | 6'5" | 256 | Boston Col. | Chicago, IL USA | 5 | 2 |
| 30 | Lawrence McCutcheon | RB | June 2, 1950 | 6'1" | 205 | Colorado St. | Plainview, TX USA | 6 | 3 |
| 67 | Reggie McKenzie | LG | July 27, 1950 | 6'4" | 255 | Michigan | Detroit, MI USA | 6 | 6 |
| 5 | Nick Mike-Mayer | K | March 1, 1950 | 5'8" | 186 | Temple | Bologna, Italy | 16 | 0 |
| 59 | Shane Nelson | RILB | May 25, 1955 | 6'1" | 226 | Baylor | Mathis, TX USA | 10 | 10 |
| 38 | Jeff Nixon | DB | October 13, 1956 | 6'3" | 190 | Richmond | Furstenfeldbruck, Germany | 13 | 0 |
| 62 | Ervin Parker | LB | August 19, 1958 | 6'4" | 236 | South Carolina St. | Georgetown, SC USA | 16 | 0 |
| 89 | Lou Piccone | WR | July 17, 1949 | 5'9" | 175 | West Liberty St. | Vineland, NJ USA | 14 | 0 |
| 40 | Robb Riddick | RB | April 26, 1957 | 6'0" | 195 | Millersville | Quakertown, PA USA | 10 | 0 |
| 51 | Jim Ritcher | G | May 21, 1958 | 6'3" | 273 | North Carolina St. | Hinckley, OH USA | 14 | 3 |
| 58 | Isiah Robertson | ROLB | August 17, 1949 | 6'3" | 225 | Southern | New Orleans, LA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | Matt Robinson | QB | June 28, 1955 | 6'2" | 196 | Georgia | Farmington, MI USA | 15 | 0 |
| 26 | Charles Romes | RCB | December 16, 1954 | 6'1" | 191 | North Carolina Central | Verdun, France | 16 | 16 |
| 57 | Lucius Sanford | LOLB | February 14, 1956 | 6'2" | 216 | Georgia Tech | Milledgeville, GA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 45 | Bill Simpson | FS | December 5, 1951 | 6'1" | 184 | Michigan St. | Detroit, MI USA | 16 | 16 |
| 76 | Fred Smerlas | NT | April 8, 1957 | 6'3" | 277 | Boston Col. | Waltham, MA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 41 | Phil Villapiano | LB | February 26, 1949 | 6'2" | 225 | Bowling Green | Long Branch, NJ USA | 16 | 4 |
| 65 | Tim Vogler | G-C | October 2, 1956 | 6'3" | 259 | Ohio St. | Troy, OH USA | 14 | 0 |
| 83 | Sherman White | RDE | October 6, 1948 | 6'5" | 250 | California | Manchester, NH USA | 16 | 16 |
| 77 | Ben Williams | LDE | September 1, 1954 | 6'3" | 251 | Mississippi | Yazoo City, MS USA | 16 | 16 |
