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Former Buffalo Bills player Conrad Dobler, who once embraced the label of being the “dirtiest player” in the NFL and helped push Buffalo to sudden success in the early 1980s, has died at age 72.
Dobler’s death was announced on February 13 by the Arizona Cardinals, the team then located in St. Louis that drafted him in 1972 and where Dobler played the first six years of his career. He went on to play 10 seasons in the NFL, including two memorable ones with the Bills.
Conrad Dobler Remembered as Tough, Unapologetic Player
As Tyler Greenwalt of Yahoo Sports noted, Dobler played much of his career next to future Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf with the Cardinals on a team that only allowed eight total sacks in 1975. Dobler made three Pro Bowls during his time with the Cardinals and also earned a reputation as a player who would do anything to protect his quarterback.
Dobler told Sports Illustrated in 1977 that he enjoyed getting under the skin of opponents.
“You have to get just the right comment to make them mad,” he said. “Verbal abuse could take all day. A faster and more efficient way to aggravate and intimidate people is to knock the stuffing out of them.”
As Greenwalt noted, Dobler had a number of infamous spats during his career, reportedly punching Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Joe Greene and kicking Los Angeles Rams defensive back Merlin Olsen in the head. Dobler was also accused of spitting on Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Bill Bergey after Bergley suffered an injury on a play.
Dobler said part of his on-field attitude came from his background. He was a little-heralded player coming out of college in Wyoming, a fact that Dobler carried with him when he played.
“Of course I’m vindictive,” he told Sports Illustrated. “I was a fifth-round draft choice, and who ever heard of a player from Wyoming?”
Dobler, whose father was a Golden Gloves boxer, also told Sports Illustrated that he settled on playing football in high school when he was too aggressive for other choices.
“I never finished a basketball game,” he says. “I always fouled out. Something just seemed to come over me. I had more fouls, I think, than the second string had points.”
Bills Found Success With Dobler
Dobler had a short but successful tenure with the Bills, ending his career with two seasons in Buffalo. After the Bills had a string of losing seasons to end the 1970s, they won the AFC East with an 11-5 record in Dobler’s first season in 1980. The Bills finished 10-6 and reached the playoffs again the following season, winning their first playoff game since the 1965 season.
The Bills honored Dobler as a team “legend” and former teammate Joe Ferguson remembered him as a generous man and a good teammate.
“Conrad was great to be around. He had something going on all the time in the locker room. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it,” the Bills Wall of Fame quarterback told the team website. “The team and coaches loved him. Sad day for the NFL.”