Steve Tasker's Tales from the Buffalo Bills

A few days after becoming head coach of the Buffalo Bills midway through the 1986 season, Marv Levy made his first personnel decision, claiming Houston Oilers reserve wide receiver Steve Tasker off the waiver wire. It seemed like an afterthought at the time, but in retrospect, proved to be one of LevyÂ’s most prescient moves. Over the next 11 seasons, the diminutive 5-foot-9, 175-pound Tasker was a huge contributor as the Bills strung together an unprecedented four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in the early 1990s. Along the way, Tasker earned seven invitations to the Pro Bowl, and during the National Football LeagueÂ’s 75th anniversary celebration, he was named the greatest special teams player of all-time. In Steve TaskerÂ’s Tales from the Buffalo Bills, the football star turned network television analyst takes a behind-the-scenes look at the franchiseÂ’s most glorious era.

With the assistance of award-winning sports columnist and author Scott Pitoniak, Tasker provides readers with insightful vignettes of colorful Bills personalities such as Levy, Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas, and Ralph Wilson.

He details the euphoria following the BillsÂ’ miraculous comeback from a 32-point deficit against the Houston Oilers in that 1993 Wildcard game, and the devastation after Scott NorwoodÂ’s kick sailed wide right in Super Bowl XXV.

There are humorous moments—like the time Ray Bentley nailed Fred Smerlas’ cleats to the locker room floor— and the time Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram mistook Tasker for a caddie. And there are poignant moments—like the morning Levy told his players he had to take a leave of absence to undergo surgery for the removal of his cancerous prostate. Tasker takes the reader inside the helmet of NFL players, describing for them the deadly efficiency of the Bills’ no-huddle offense ("There were times when we felt like we were unstoppable") and the effects of a jarring hit ("It’s like being in a violent car wreck").