Ralph Wilson
October 17, 1918 - Detroit , Michigan - Ralph C. Wilson Jr. is born into this world. Ralph Wilson is best known for being the owner and founder of the Buffalo Bills franchise. Mr. Wilson started his ownership journey by first being a minority owner with the Detroit Lions. Mr. Wilson then sold out of the Lions and became one of the original founders of the AFL in 1960 and had a big part in the AFL/NFL merger in the late 1960’s. In the AFL, Ralph Wilson watched on as his team won the AFL Championship in 1964 and again in 1965 according to profootballhof.com. He also saw the Bills make it into an unprecedented four consecutive appearances in Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII. Ralph has gone down in history as being third on the list of longevity of NFL owners as his 53 years with the Bills was only surpassed by George Halas’ 63 seasons with the Bears and Art Rooney’s 55 years with the Steelers. Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined Ralph Wilson Jr. into the great building of legends in 2009. At the enshrinement ceremony, Wilson had one of the most memorable HOF speeches ever when he said, "It shouldn't take much calculating to decide whether to pay $5 or $50,000 for a seat at a football game. I had just such a choice a few years back and, contrary to what you might expect of a sane man, I chose the higher priced seat. It wasn't that I was interested in the view, but the $50,000 entitled me to any seat in the house; I had finally become what I had long wanted to be-the sole owner of a pro football team.”
Herb Orvis
October 17, 1946 - Mount Morris, Michigan - Herb Orvis, a defensive tackle for the University of Colorado, was born. With the Buffalos, Orvis was a 1971 First-team All-American and twice earned first-team All-Big Eight honors. Per a great bio of Mr. Orvis on footballfoundation.org we learn that he led the Buffs to three consecutive bowl games; wins in the 1969 Liberty Bowl and the 1971 Bluebonnet Bowl; and a No. 3 national ranking in 1971. Herb was a large player for his era standing at 6-foot-5 and weighed approximately 235 pounds, and his ferocity terrorized opponents his entire career in college. The National Football Foundation selected Herb Orvis to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 2016. After graduation, Orvis became the 16th overall pick by the Detroit Lions in the 1972 NFL Draft. Herb played for the Lions from 1972-77 and then with the Baltimore Colts for four additional seasons. He received Second Team All-NFC honors in 1975.
Ron Johnson
October 17, 1947 - Detroit, Michigan - Ron Johnson a University of Michigan running back came into this world. How good was Ron Johnson, well his Michigan teammates voted him as their MVP twice and also they selected him as one of their captains for the 1968 season. Mr Johnson was the first African-American in Wolverine history to serve as a team captain. Ron was an outstanding student at the University too and earned awards such as the Big Ten Medal of Honor for his hard work on the field and in the classroom. As a runner he was dynamite, exemplified in the game against Wisconsin in the 1968 season, as Johnson pounded out 347 yards on the ground, which stood as an NCAA record for three years and remains a Michigan record per the National Football Foundation’s bio on the great player. After college, Ron Johnson was picked in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in the 1969 NFL Draft. He stayed with the Browns for one season before playing with the New York Giants from 1970 to 1975. In New York, he twice earned All-Pro honors (1970 and 1972), and he became the first player in Giants history to gain at least 1,000 rushing yards in a season, twice hitting the milestone. Ron Johnson entered into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992.
Steve McMichael
October 17, 1957 - Houston, Texas - Steve McMichael the top notch defensive end was born. Steve played his college football at the University of Texas and was selected as a unanimous first-team All-American after the 1979 season. As the footballfoundation.org website describes, Steve graduated as the school's all-time leader in career tackles (369) and sacks (30). He was a finalist for the Lombardi and Outland Awards in 1979 and became the Hula Bowl’s Most Valuable Player. The National Football Foundation selected Steve McMicael to enter into their College Football Hall of Fame in 2009. Steve was drafted into the NFL by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 1980 Draft. The next year Chicago picked him up as a free agent and he spent 13 fruitful seasons with the Bears including victory in Super Bowl XX with one of the most feared defenses in NFL history.
