Darryl Talley commands the gridiron with a fierce versatility that shattered records at West Virginia and anchored the Buffalo Bills’ legendary defense.
Football Bio
July 10, 1960 – Cleveland, Ohio – Darryl Talley, the West Virginia linebacker from 1979 to 1982, was born.
The National Football Foundation reports that Darryl was such a versatile athlete at linebacker that he could play either on the line of scrimmage or on the outside.
Talley registered 484 career tackles, which was a school record that stood for 21 years. Darryl also posted 28 tackles for loss, 19 sacks, and five interceptions in his four seasons in Morgantown.
Talley was a unanimous All-America and was named the WVU teamβs Most Valuable Player in 1982 as a senior. Darryl Talley was selected to enter the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
After college, he was a second-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 1983 NFL Draft. He enjoyed 12 seasons in the NFL with the Bills, Atlanta Falcons, and Minnesota Vikings, starting 187 of the 216 games he played in.
The two-time Pro Bowler played in four Super Bowls with Buffalo and was named First Team All-Pro by the Sporting News in 1990 and 1993. Talley logged 38.5 career sacks and forced 17 fumbles for his brilliant pro career.
Darryl Talley embodies the ultimate standard for linebackers, transitioning from a collegiate tackling machine into a cornerstone of the Buffalo Bills’ multi-year championship runs. His legacy endures through his Hall of Fame inductions and the countless offensive schemes he dismantled throughout his 14-year professional career.
Accolades and Football Accomplishments
- College Football Hall of Fame: Inducted in 2011.
- Unanimous All-American: 1982.
- West Virginia Tackling Record: Registered 484 career tackles, a school record that stood for 21 years.
- NFL Pro Bowl: 2Γ selection (1990, 1991).
- First-Team All-Pro: 2Γ selection (1990, 1993).
- Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame: Inducted in 2003.
- Super Bowl Appearances: Played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills.
- Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team: Selected in 2009.
- West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame: Inducted as a legendary Mountaineer.