American football player (1961?2011)
American football player
James Kent Hull
(January 13, 1961 ? October 18, 2011) was an
American football
offensive lineman
in the
National Football League
(NFL) and
United States Football League
(USFL), more precisely a
center
for the
New Jersey Generals
of the
USFL
and
Buffalo Bills
of the
NFL
.
Mississippi State University
[
edit
]
Born in
Greenwood, Mississippi
, Hull attended
Greenwood High School
[1]
and then
Mississippi State University
. At Mississippi State, Hull earned four
football
letters
as the Bulldogs' center from 1979 to 1982 before going on to star first in the USFL then in the NFL.
New Jersey Generals
[
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]
Hull was the starting center for the Generals from 1983 to 1985 where he blocked for Herschel Walker all three years of the team's existence. Walker broke the pro football record for rushing yards in a single season with 2,411 in 1985 with the Generals – Hull was a key cog in their attack all three seasons together.
Buffalo Bills
[
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]
As a rookie for the Buffalo Bills in 1986, Hull immediately became their starting center, replacing
Will Grant
, hunched between 7-year veteran
Jim Ritcher
at left
offensive guard
and fellow rookie
Will Wolford
at right guard for all 16 games, with Hall-of-Famer
Jim Kelly
as rookie quarterback under first-year
head coach
Marv Levy
.
[2]
In 1988, the Bills won the AFC east division with a strong offensive line, Hull playing between Ritcher and
Tim Vogler
at right guard. They beat the
Houston Oilers
in the divisional round of the
1988?89 NFL playoffs
, as Kelly passed for 244 yards and
Thurman Thomas
rushed for 75 yards in only 7 carries, but lost the AFC championship game to the
Cincinnati Bengals
. In 1989, the Bills won the AFC east division title again but lost a divisional round match of the
1989?90 NFL playoffs
to the
Cleveland Browns
.
In 1990, the Bills won the AFC east division again, beating the
Miami Dolphins
in the divisional round of the
1990?91 NFL playoffs
, destroying the
Los Angeles Raiders
51?3 in the AFC championship game, but barely losing to the
Bill Parcells
-led
New York Giants
in
Super Bowl XXV
20?19. In 1991, the Bills won the AFC east division again, beating the
Kansas City Chiefs
in the divisional round of the
1991?92 NFL playoffs
, the
Denver Broncos
in the AFC championship game but losing to the
Joe Gibbs
-led
Washington Redskins
in
Super Bowl XXVI
. One more year of joy and frustration occurred in 1992, when the Bills won the AFC east division title again, beating the
Houston Oilers
in a wild-card game of the
1992?93 NFL playoffs
, the
Pittsburgh Steelers
in the divisional round, the
Miami Dolphins
in the AFC championship game, but losing to the
Jimmie Johnson
-led
Dallas Cowboys
in
Super Bowl XXVII
. More joys and frustrations occurred in 1993, when the Bills won the AFC east division title again, beating the
Los Angeles Raiders
in the divisional round of the
1993?94 NFL playoffs
, the
Kansas City Chiefs
in the AFC championship game (rushing for 229 yards, 186 by Thomas), but losing to the Johnson-led
Dallas Cowboys
in
Super Bowl XXVIII
.
The Bills ran out of gas in 1994, finishing only with a won-lost record of 7?9. But in 1995, the Bills came back to prominence by winning the AFC east divisional title to beat the Dolphins in a wild-card game of the
1995?96 NFL playoffs
, rushing for a ridiculous 334 yards, as Hull mauled the opposing
defensive tackles
Tim Bowens
and
Chuck Klingbeil
as thoroughly as
middle linebacker
Bryan Cox
, but they lost a divisional round game to the Steelers. In 1996, Hull's final year in the NFL, the Bills made the playoffs but lost a wild-card game to the
Jacksonville Jaguars
. In 1997, he was replaced by sophomore
Dusty Zeigler
.
From 1986 to 1993, he played next to Ritcher at left guard, forming a fine tandem in their hurry-up offense, and in the final two years with a very strong
Ruben Brown
. During Hull's 11-year career in Buffalo, he played in 121 consecutive games from 1986 to 1993, as the Bills enjoyed eight winning seasons and won four consecutive
AFC
titles. Named to the
Pro Bowl
three times, he was also one of the team's captains for his final seven years. Most notably, he was the starting center for Buffalo during their record four straight
Super Bowl
appearances from 1990 to 1993.
Awards and recognition
[
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]
Hull was selected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, inducted into the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, received the Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award in 2001, was selected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and was the 19th inductee to the Wall of Fame at
Ralph Wilson Stadium
in Buffalo in 2002. In 2012, he was added to Mississippi State University's Ring of Honor on Davis Wade Stadium, which is the highest recognition for Mississippi State Football. In 2013, the
Kent Hull Trophy
was announced and is to be given annually to the best collegiate offensive lineman in the State of Mississippi. The first annual recipient was announced on November 27, 2013 to offensive guard Gabe Jackson of Mississippi State.
Death
[
edit
]
Hull died
[3]
at home in
Greenwood, Mississippi
on October 18, 2011. The cause was announced as a gastrointestinal bleed stemming from chronic liver disease, a condition which he had been battling for some time.
[4]
A review of his career was published in
The New York Times
of November 7, 2011.
[5]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Once Unwanted, Hull Anchors Line"
. Wilmington Morning Star. January 5, 1989.
- ^
"1986 Buffalo Bills Starters, Roster, & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com"
.
Pro-Football-Reference.com
.
- ^
"Former Bills C Kent Hull dies"
.
The Sports Network
. October 18, 2011. Archived from
the original
on September 18, 2012
. Retrieved
November 6,
2011
.
- ^
Kent Hull obituary
[
permanent dead link
]
- ^
Barall, Andy (October 20, 2011).
"Remembering Kent Hull, a Bills Mainstay"
.
The New York Times
. Archived from
the original
on October 23, 2011.
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