National Football League - Buffalo Bills

Buffalo Bills Unveil Throwback Uniforms

Throwback Uniforms Get Alumni Approval

Mark Ludwiczak, buffalobills.com

It was the past, present and future all rolled into one at Ralph Wilson Stadium Saturday afternoon. Sporting their new throwback jerseys for the first time, members of the Buffalo Bills anxiously ran onto the field in front of a wild crowd of cheering fans. The unveiling was the highlight of this weekend's Celebration of Champions.

"To watch those guys come out of the tunnel it was like going back in time and watching us," said former Bills receiver Ed Rutkowski. "It was kind of surreal."

It was surreal for many because the throwback uniforms are nearly identical to what the Bills wore during their AFL Championship years in the mid-1960s. Buffalo changed its uniforms following the 1972 season.

The jerseys feature a lighter blue than the Bills' current colors, along with the classic white pants that feature narrow blue and white stripes down the side. The uniforms are identical to the old uniforms from head to toe, all the way down to the black shoes. But most of the excitement revolved around the white "standing buffalo" helmet that many Bills fans had been so accustomed to in the team's early years.

"We've always been partial to that buffalo because we've known nothing else," said Bills Hall of Fame guard Billy Shaw. "It's fun to see it. It will bring them luck too."

Both former and current players were excited about the uniform.

"The uniforms are kind of tight, aren't they? They're kind of cool looking," said Andre Reed.

The newest number 83 was pretty impressed as well.

"When I first looked at them I said, 'Oh, okay,' " Lee Evans said. "But once you get them on and see them, it's unbelievable."

Shaw thinks that the tribute to his championship teams of the 60s can only lead to good things on the field.

"The jerseys are almost identical to what we wore in '65," he said. "It's kind of fun to see it back, it brings back a lot of good memories. So they'll win every time they wear these."

Former Bills center Kent Hull thinks the uniform is a perfect fit for the city of Buffalo.

"I like the jerseys," Hull said. "I think it's not flamboyant or anything, I think it's more of a football jersey. This jersey kind of symbolizes Buffalo if you want to know the truth. The first time I saw the jersey they're wearing now, I thought they looked like the Denver Broncos. This looks like Buffalo."

If there was any disappointment on this sunny afternoon, it was the fact that the Bills weren't going to play an actual football game on this day. As the team got ready, safety Lawyer Milloy - after his initial reaction, "They look sweet, man!" - got ready just like it was a Sunday in the fall.

"It's gameday, I got my mouthpiece and everything," Milloy said while chatting with former Bills QB Jim Kelly.

Milloy wasn't the only one to put the finishing touches on his uniform. Cornerback Nate Clements worked on cutting his socks precisely to his liking. But the icing on the cake for Clements was the black tape he wrapped around his new black cleats (instead of the usual white tape), which clearly had the young cornerback excited.

Members of the offensive side of the ball were just as excited as those on the defensive side to start playing in their new uniforms - especially a certain QB/WR combo that Bills fans should expect much from in the future.

"I've never seen anything like this," Evans said. "The fans were pumped up. It was like gameday out there. Helmets up, shoulder pads … I want to go ahead and play."

"I think our team is just feeling our chemistry right now, plus you add the jerseys and it brings a whole different emotional thing to it," said Bills starting QB J.P. Losman. "We're playing for the tradition of it. All of these old players want to see us win so bad and they've done so much for the community, it's our turn to try and duplicate it. … I wish we could just play today."

However, the Bills will have to be a little patient - they are 14 weeks away from their first game in the throwback jerseys, in their season home opener on Sept. 11 against the Houston Texans.

This article was taken from www.buffalobills.com.  All rights reserved.