Al Bemiller obit

Bills two-time AFL champion, Al Bemiller passed away

 

He was not on the list.

One of Buffalo's longest-tenured AFL players, Al Bemiller, passed away on Wednesday. Bemiller was quite literally at the center of Buffalo's American Football League back-to-back championship teams as he manned the pivot on the Bills' offensive line for nine seasons from 1961-1969.

A seventh-round pick of the Bills in 1961, Bemiller was also drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals of the NFL but chose to sign with Buffalo for two reasons. One because it was closer to his native Hanover, Pennsylvania and two, because he was promised a starting job.

Right out of his first training camp Bemiller did win the starting job at center, a position he held for the next nine seasons appearing in 126 games with 123 starts. The highlight of his career were the two AFL titles in 1964 and 1965, earning AFL All-Star honors in 1965 in the process.

Originally recruited to Syracuse University for his wrestling exploits, the head football coach, Ben Schwartzwalder asked him to play for the football team. By his sophomore season Bemiller was a starter on the Syracuse offensive line and enjoyed great success as the then called Orangemen won a national championship that season (1959).

After his retirement from the Bills, Bemiller remained in Western New York working as a recreation director at Wyoming Correctional Facility. He also operated several businesses including a nightclub in Hamburg.

Bemiller was later a very successful wrestling coach at St. Francis high school in Athol Springs. Named to the position in 1978, Bemiller led the Red Raiders to three consecutive Catholic High School Athletic Association titles. He additionally served Western New York schools as an official for football and wrestling.

His commitment to Western New York after his playing days earned him the prestigious Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award in 2013. He was additionally inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

A dedicated member of the Buffalo Bills Alumni Association for decades, Bemiller was 84-years old.

Bemiller was drafted as an offensive lineman by the Buffalo Bills in 1961, when he immediately became their starting center,[1] replacing Dan McGrew, although the latter was the All-AFL 2nd team center in the Bills' inaugural season of 1960. During the 1961 season, Bemiller played in all 14 games, between fellow rookie Billy Shaw at left offensive guard and second year pro Chuck Muelhaupt at right guard, under head coach Buster Ramsey. In 1962, he continued to play center next to Shaw and new right guard Tom Day under new head coach Lou Saban. These three linemen would play together up to 1963, when the Bills tied for first place in the AFL east division, but lost a playoff game to the Boston Patriots.

In 1964, Bemiller was switched to right offensive guard, playing between veteran center Walt Cudzik and right offensive tackle Dick Hudson, when the Bills won their first AFL championship. They repeated in 1965, when Bemiller became an AFL All-Star at right guard, still next to Hudson but with a new center, Dave Behrman. In 1966, under new head coach Joe Collier, Bemiller switched back to center, playing between Shaw and right guard Joe O'Donnell. From 1967 to 1969, he remained the starting center but also played left offensive tackle in 1967. In 1968, he played between Shaw and Bob Kalsu and in 1969, his final year, between Shaw and O'Donnell.

 

Bemiller was replaced the following year by Frank Marchlewski. In his nine-year career with the Bills, he never missed a game.

After playing for the Bills, Bemiller became a substitute teacher for the Buffalo Public Schools and could be seen on occasion at Hutchinson Central Technical High School in Buffalo, New York.[2] Bemiller also worked 33 years as a high school wrestling official for the Niagara Frontier Wrestling Officials Association of section 6 (NYS), from 1970-2003 and was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame. Bemiller also worked 25 years as a recreation coordinator at Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica. Bemiller's grandson, quarterback Jake Dolegala, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019