Mike Stratton- LB 1962-72

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Mike Stratton - LB

Buffalo's thirteenth-round draft choice in 1962 out of the University of Tennessee, Stratton played in the AFL All-Star Game six times and finished his career with 21 interceptions, 18 as a Bill. Blessed with tremendous speed for a man 6-3 and 230 pounds, Stratton would have been a star in today's NFL, according to many of his former teammates, because he wasn't one-dimensional. He could rush the passer, play the run, and play pass coverage against backs or tight ends. Stratton's tackle is what most fans remember, but he made big plays almost weekly during his 11 seasons (1962-1972) in Buffalo. This hit was instrumental in delivering the Bills their 1st. AFL Championship in 1964. It was the play that turned the game in the Bills' favor and keyed their 20-7 victory, which gave Buffalo its first pro football championship. In the 37 years since, it has become known around western New York as "The Hit Heard Round the World." Long-time Bills fans who were there that cold December day or saw it on television still call it the play that changed the course of Buffalo's football history.
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