Ralph Cookerly Wilson, Jr. was born in Columbus, Ohio on October 17, 1918. To put that into some perspective, that was a full 10 years before the first television broadcast in the United States occurred. Despite being born before American television was created, Ralph Wilson would go on to use television to expand the game that he loved so much.

He and his family moved to Detroit when Wilson was very young. During World War II, Wilson was a Navy man who served his country on the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. After the war was over, Wilson created an empire that included radio stations, construction companies, and retail outlets. He used his wealth to become a minority owner of the NFL’s Detroit Lions franchise, but being a minority owner wasn’t enough for the ambitious Wilson.

In early 1959, Wilson heard that a man named Lamar Hunt was planning to create a new football league to challenge the NFL. Wilson wanted in and he wanted to put his franchise in Miami. But when Ralph Wilson could not get the lease for the stadium in Miami, he was offered Buffalo. Ralph Wilson decided to put his American Football League franchise in Buffalo and name it the Buffalo Bills.

Some people thought that Wilson had named his team after “Buffalo” Bill Cody and his old Wild West shows. The truth was that Wilson was a smart businessman and he knew that the Buffalo Bills were a franchise that had existed in the defunct All-America Football Conference that was around just prior to the AFL. The fans already knew the name and Wilson wanted to do whatever he could to make pro football a success in Buffalo.

For 10 years, Ralph Wilson and Lamar Hunt kept the AFL in business. Most people don’t realize that Wilson actually loaned Oakland Raiders’ owner Al Davis $400,000 so that Davis could keep his AFL franchise going. Wilson also reached out with financial help to the Boston Patriots so that the AFL could stay financially strong.

The AFL decided to go head to head with the NFL and sign the best college players. The AFL also decided to start courting NFL players with outrageous contracts that turned NFL players into AFL building blocks. Through it all, Ralph Wilson, Jr. never lost that fire to turn his initial $25,000 investment into a success. When it came time for the AFL to merge with the NFL in 1970, Wilson was at the front of the pack. He was ready to take his Buffalo Bills franchise into the big time, but he never took his eye off the business side of things.

Ralph Wilson, Jr. and his wife Mary lived in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan with their daughters Linda, Christy, and Edith. Linda was a part of the Bills’ scouting staff until her untimely demise in 2009. Christy works with the team as a merchandising consultant, while Edith has no affiliation with the team at all.

For 54 years, Ralph Wilson guided his franchise from a humble beginning to one of the premier NFL franchises of the 1990’s. Fans outside of Buffalo remember the Bills for losing four consecutive Super Bowls, but Wilson always considered his team to be one of the best in the league.

Ralph Wilson and the Buffalo fans did not always see eye to eye on finances. After the team’s first Super Bowl run, Wilson went on television and complained that his franchise lost money that year. When making the announcement that the Bills would play some games in Toronto, Wilson’s repeated reference to the financial struggles of the Buffalo area grated on the nerves of many fans. But through it all, the fans and Ralph Wilson never lost their mutual love for the Buffalo Bills.

When it would have made a lot of sense to move the team out of Buffalo, Wilson refused to do so. Each time the league and the players’ union would sign a new collective bargaining agreement, Wilson would warn everyone that the NFL is heading in a direction that would make it impossible for small market teams to survive. Despite his own hesitations, Wilson always insisted that Buffalo would be the permanent home of the Bills.

This afternoon, the Buffalo Bills announced that Ralph Wilson, Jr. had passed away at the age of 95. He leaves behind a loving family and a legacy that few others could ever create. He was a pioneer, an innovator, and a hard-driving business man. When he wanted something, he set his sights on getting it. Even though a Super Bowl title eluded him, he was still able to relish his enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Whatever you may think about Ralph Wilson, there was no denying his undying dedication to the Buffalo Bills. He may have said some things we did not agree with, but he was always in Buffalo’s corner. He was part of a list of legendary owners that includes Art Rooney of Pittsburgh, Al David of Oakland, and Lamar Hunt of Kansas City.

The city of Buffalo may have accidentally been introduced to Ralph Wilson, but the bond between the man and the city is undeniable.

R.I.P. Mr. Ralph Cookerly Wilson, Jr. You have earned it.

Nick Oliver is a Niagara County resident and football fan. Normally, you can read his column every Wednesday. He can be reached at NickOliver@writeme.com.

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