Important Dates in Bills history presented by M&T Bank helps fans understand what's important. The beginning is important. Over 55 years at the forefront of the franchise, Buffalo Bills founding owner Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. went from a member of the so-called “Foolish Club” to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Wilson, a Michigan-based business man who had previously been part-owner of the Detroit Lions, was among the founders of the upstart American Football League, dubbed “The Foolish Club” for their audacity to challenge the already-established National Football League.
Given the choice between five different cities to establish a football club, Wilson made what he called a “lucky pick” by selecting Buffalo as the forever home of his new Bills.