If you walked into the Buffalo Bills locker room in 1990, you’d see future Hall of Famers everywhere. Jim Kelly was the swaggering general. Thurman Thomas was the electric playmaker. Bruce Smith was the terrifying force on the edge. But if you asked any of those guys who the actual boss was, they’d point to a soft-spoken, 6-foot-5 Mississippian named Kent Hull.
Kent Hull wasn't just a center. Honestly, calling him a "center" is like calling a master architect a "bricklayer." He was the engine room of the K-Gun offense. He was the guy who made the no-huddle work before the no-huddle was even cool. Without Hull, that legendary Bills dynasty of the early 90s—the one that went to four straight Super Bowls—kinda falls apart at the seams.
He wasn't a flashy draft pick. Actually, he wasn't an NFL draft pick at all. He started his pro journey in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals, blocking for Herschel Walker. When that league folded, he landed in Buffalo in 1986. From that moment on, he basically became the soul of the franchise.
The Man Who Ran the No-Huddle
Most people think Jim Kelly called all the shots in the K-Gun. Kelly was great, don't get me wrong, but Hull was the one doing the heavy lifting at the line of scrimmage. In a no-huddle system, the center has to be a genius. You have seconds to scan the defense, identify the Mike linebacker, adjust the protection, and snap the ball.
Hull did it better than anyone.
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He played in 121 consecutive games between 1986 and 1993. That’s a lot of Sundays spent wrestling 300-pound defensive tackles in the freezing Buffalo slush. He was a three-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-team All-Pro. But stats don't really tell the story of a guy like Kent. You've got to look at the way his teammates talked about him. Jim Kelly called him his "best friend" and the "heartbeat" of the team. When Kelly was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, he made sure everyone knew that a huge part of his success belonged to the guy wearing number 67.
Toughness Defined
There’s this story about Hull playing through pain that would put most people in the hospital. He had this "old school" grit. He’d get his fingers mangled, tape them up, and get back over the ball. He wasn't looking for headlines. He was looking to make sure Thurman Thomas had a lane to run through.
Under his watch, the Bills' offensive line became a wall. They weren't just big; they were smart. Hull’s ability to communicate meant the Bills were always one step ahead of the defense. It’s why that offense was so terrifying. You couldn't substitute against them because they never stopped moving, and you couldn't outsmart them because Kent Hull was always watching.
Life After the Gridiron and a Heavy Legacy
When Hull retired after the 1996 season—the same year as Jim Kelly—it really felt like the lights went out on an era. He went back home to Mississippi. He lived a quiet life, mostly staying away from the NFL spotlight. He liked hunting. He liked doing crossword puzzles.
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He also spent a ton of time on charity work. He’d buy sports memorabilia not to show it off, but because the money went to kids fighting cancer. That’s just who he was. A big man with an even bigger heart.
Sadly, we lost him way too soon. Kent Hull passed away in 2011 at the age of 50. The cause was a gastrointestinal bleed related to chronic liver disease. It hit the Buffalo community like a freight train. Marv Levy, the legendary Bills coach, was devastated. Thurman Thomas said his heart "breaks period." It wasn't just losing a former player; it was losing a brother.
Is He a Hall of Famer?
This is the big debate that still rages in Buffalo bars. Should Kent Hull be in Canton?
Personally? Yeah.
The problem is that the Hall of Fame committee often overlooks centers, especially if they played on teams with three or four other Hall of Famers. They figure "well, he had Kelly and Thomas, how hard could it be?" But they’ve got it backwards. Kelly and Thomas were as good as they were because of Hull.
His main competition for that era's "best center" was Dermontti Dawson of the Steelers. Dawson got in, and he deserved it. But Hull's resume—the four Super Bowls, the revolutionary offense, the leadership—it holds up. Even if he never gets that gold jacket, his name is exactly where it belongs: on the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame.
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Why We Still Talk About Him
In an era of diva wide receivers and quarterbacks who want to be movie stars, Kent Hull is a reminder of what football used to be. It was about the guy next to you. It was about the silent work done in the trenches.
If you're a young fan trying to understand why older Bills fans are so obsessed with those 90s teams, don't just watch the Jim Kelly highlights. Watch the center. Watch #67. Watch how he points out the blitz. Watch how he stays on his block until the whistle.
What you can do to honor his legacy:
- Watch the tape: Go back and look at the 1990 AFC Championship game where the Bills destroyed the Raiders 51-3. Watch the movement of the offensive line.
- Support the cause: Hull was big on helping others. Look into "Kelly for Kids" or similar Western New York charities that the 90s Bills still support.
- Advocate for the Seniors Committee: If you think he belongs in the Hall of Fame, join the conversation when the Seniors Committee nominations come around each year.
Kent Hull was the glue. He was the grit. He was Buffalo football. And honestly, they haven't made many like him since.