By Budd Bailey, Buffalo Sports Page Columnist
Ron McDole – Signed by the Bills in 1963
At one point, Ron McDole was ready to give up his football career to become a teacher. Luckily, for the Bills, he gave football another chance – and played, and played, and played.
McDole was drafted by both the Cardinals and the Broncos in 1961, but couldn’t make either team. He was ready to give up football when Lou Saban called him. The Bills’ coach had tremendous enthusiasm when it came to a sales pitch, and he convinced McDole to give the sport another try. McDole signed, and became an important part of the team’s defensive line until 1971.
In the spring of 1971, coach John Rauch decided McDole was too old and traded him to Washington. Owner Ralph Wilson didn’t like that move, and fired Rauch. Meanwhile, McDole played defensive end for eight more seasons starting at the age of 32. Along the way, he picked up a great nickname because of his size and mobility: “The Dancing Bear.” McDole still holds the pro football record for most career interceptions by a defensive lineman.
Ron appeared on a podcast to talk about his career:
(Follow Budd on Twitter @WDX2BB)
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