Former Bills guard Jim Ritcher

[MatthewToy]

Watching the Bills 1985 season highlights and they kept showing Ritchers helmet off of his head but attached to his neckroll. I had totally forgotten about him. I tried googling why his helmet was like that but found nothing. Anybody know the story?

Unrelated: The 1985 Bills played the Chargers twice. Both times they wore white.

[Gary Najman]

I do remember how Richer hung his helmet (by the way, he was the starting left guard, not center, for the Bills from 1983-1993). He played 16 seasons in the NFL.

[bquinn]

I grew up in Western New York and Ritcher was a first-round pick for the Bills. Later in his career he had two straps attached to the back of his shoulder pads and then the other ends of the straps attached to his helmet. I assume this acted much like a neck roll did in minimizing neck movement, but it also allowed him to merely flip his helmet off his head and it would remain attached behind him. A good way to never lose your helmet too. Are you listening Thurman Thomas?

[MatthewToy]

I do remember how Richer hung his helmet (by the way, he was the starting left guard, not center, for the Bills from 1983-1993). He played 16 seasons in the NFL.

Fixed. Him wearing 51 made me assume he was a center.

[conace21]

Ritcher played center in college and win the Outlook Trophy. I assume he was originally drafted as a center, but switched to guard at some point. He didn't consistently start until his 4th season. I remember in 1981 against Dallas, RG Conrad Dobler was penalized twice in one drive. Chuck Knox sent in Ritcher to replace him in the middle of a drive, but Dobler refused to come out.

[ChrisBabcock]

I remember him as being a really solid, consistent player. Never spectacular. Hung around long enough to be a part of the Bills early 80s playoff teams, through the 2-14 lean years and then a vital part of the early 90s AFC champion teams. I think the only Bill to do that. Fred Smerlas came close.

[conace21]

Ritcher was indeed the only player who was a part of both the early 1980's Bills playoff teams and the Super Bowl squads. Smerlas and Joe Devlin both played until 1989; Robb Riddick played until 1988, and led the team in touchdowns that season.