Buffalo Blue Wings

The Buffalo Blue Wings are a professional Hybrid Football team located in Buffalo, New York. They currently compete in the North American Association of Football as a member of the West Division. They play their home games at Milton Charles Stadium in Buffalo.

The Blue Wings were founded in 1927, and began playing in the New York Football League. The team joined the NAAF in 1949 as one of the first four members of the league. The Blue Wings' name comes from founder Milton Charles, who was having a tough time deciding between the Buffalo Blues or the Buffalo Wings as the team's name. Eventually, his wife, Elizabeth Charles, gave him the idea to put them together and the name stuck. Milton Charles is still the owner of the team as of 1969.

The Blue Wings had little success in their time in the New York Football League, only making one championship appearance in 1935, where they were beaten 27-0 by the Brooklyn Guardians. In the NAAF Buffalo has been one of the most successful teams, with a league-leading 6 McCallister Cups since 1949.

STADIUM

Milton Charles Stadium was opened in 1963 and seats 54,000. The Stadium is located in Downtown Buffalo right along the Buffalo River. The stadium is a proto-typical bowl with one level to hold all the seats. The stadium is primarily concrete but has a lot of blue paint certainly.

Milton Charles Stadium has hosted the McCallister Cup on one occasion in 1965, a game between the Long Island Raiders and the Louisville Thunder.

PRE-NAAF HISTORY

NAAF HISTORY

HISTORIC INFORMATION

Head Coaches
Bobby Hooper - 1949-1955
Dannell Willis - 1956-1963
Maurice Evanson - 1964-Pres.

Captains
DL Sean Bowen - 1957-1960
S Frazier Brooks - 1961-1962
QB Charles Lemieux - 1963-Pres.

Hall of Famers
DL Sean Bowen - 1967
RB Arthur Conner - 1968
DB Oscar Patterson - 1968
QB Angelo Medina - 1969
OL Jean Mathieu-Baptiste - 1969
S Frazier Brooks - 1969
OL Casey York - 1969
DL Johnathan Brown - 1970
OL Cliff Strauztenberger - 1970*
RB Johnnie Stafford - 1971

*Only played one season in Buffalo

Seasons
1949: 3-5 - 5th in NAAF - Missed Playoffs
1950: 4-4 - 5th in NAAF - Missed Playoffs
1951: 6-4 - 2nd North Division - Lost North Division Final
1952: 6-4 - 2nd North Division - Won McCallister Cup
1953: 6-4 - 3rd North Division - Missed Playoffs
1954: 7-2-1 - 1st North Division - Lost North Division Final
1955: 6-4 - 2nd North Division - Lost North Division Final
1956: 5-5 - 3rd North Division - Missed Playoffs
1957: 10-2 - 1st West Division - Won McCallister Cup
1958: 6-6 - 3rd West Division - Lost West Division Semi-Final
1959: 3-8-1 - 4th West Division - Missed Playoffs
1960: 2-9-1 - 4th West Division - Missed Playoffs
1961: 5-7 - 3rd West Division - Lost West Division Semi-Final
1962: 4-7-1 - 4th West Division - Missed Playoffs
1963: 4-7-1 - 4th West Division - Missed Playoffs
1964: 8-4 - 1st West Division - Won McCallister Cup
1965: 7-5 - 5th West Division - Missed Playoffs
1966: 10-2 - 1st West Division - Won McCallister Cup
1967: 10-2 - 1st West Division - Won McCallister Cup
1968: 7-5 - 2nd West Division - Lost West Division Semi-Final
1969: 10-2 - 1st West Division - Won McCallister Cup
1970: 8-4 - 1st Central Division - Lost Quarter-Finals
1971: 7-7 - 3rd Central Division - Lost Semi-Finals
1972: 8-6 - 3rd Central Division - Lost Quarter-Finals

Awards
Most Valuable/Outstanding Player
1964: RB Jimmy Golden
1966: QB Charles Lemieux
1970: QB Charles Lemieux

Offensive Player of the Year:
1952: QB Angelo Medina
1955: RB Arthur Conner
1957: RB Arthur Conner
1967: RB Jimmy Golden

Defensive Player of the Year
1954: DL Sean Bowen

Special Teams Player of the Year
1954: K Donald Brewer
1970: K Ryan Perch

Coach of the Year
1952: Bobby Hooper
1957: Dannell Willis
1967: Maurice Evanson

Rookie of the Year
1951: WR Clifford Church
1960: RB Jimmy Golden
1962: LB Orion Carter

Breakout Player of the Year
1961: QB Charles Lemieux
1962: WR Zachariah Pembroke
1970: WR Tracy Driscoll

Playoff MVP/MOP
1952: RB Arthur Conner
1957: S Frazier Brooks
1966: QB Charles Lemieux
1969: RB Jimmy Golden

McCallister Cup MVP/MOP:
1952: RB Arthur Conner
1957: S Frazier Brooks
1964: QB Charles Lemieux
1966: DL William Sanderson
1967: QB Charles Lemieux
1969: DL William Sanderson

DESIGN

1949-1952

Buffalo maintained their look heading into the NAAF, bringing the classic 3-stripe design to the new league.

1952

During the 1952 season, DB Oscar Patterson painted white wings on his helmet which the rest of the team soon followed onto a championship that season.

1952-1957

The next season, the Blue Wings added the wings to the helmet full-time. They also made some minor changes making the collar match the jersey base, and adding white socks to the road uniform.

1958-1969

In 1958, the Blue Wings would make only a minor change when the league changed to the new template, which was just adjusting the blue slightly.

1970

With the partnership with Patterson Athletics, the Blue Wings would tweak their jerseys a little moving the TV numbers to the shoulders and changing their facemask to white. They also adopted a new 2D version of their buffalo with wings.