| No. 67 | |||||||||
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| Position | Center | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1961-01-13)January 13, 1961 Pontotoc, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||
| Died | October 18, 2011(2011-10-18) (aged 50) Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||
| Weight | 278 lb (126 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Greenwood | ||||||||
| College | Mississippi State | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
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James Kent Hull (January 13, 1961 – October 18, 2011) was an American professionalfootball player who was aCenter in theNational Football League (NFL) andUnited States Football League (USFL). He playedcollege football for theMississippi State Bulldogs. He played in the USFL for theNew Jersey Generals and NFL with theBuffalo Bills.
Born inPontotoc, Mississippi, Hull attendedGreenwood High School[1] and thenMississippi State University. At Mississippi State, Hull earned fourfootballletters as theBulldogs' center from 1979 to 1982 before going on to star first in the USFL then in the NFL.
Hull was the starting center for the Generals from 1983 to 1985 where he blocked forHerschel Walker all three years of the team's existence. Walker broke the pro football record for rushing yards in a single season with 2,411 in 1985 with the Generals – Hull was a key cog in their attack all three seasons together.
As a rookie for the Buffalo Bills in 1986, Hull immediately became their starting center, replacingWill Grant, hunched between 7-year veteranJim Ritcher at leftoffensive guard and fellow rookieWill Wolford at right guard for all 16 games, with Hall-of-FamerJim Kelly as rookie quarterback under first-yearhead coachMarv Levy.[2] In 1988, the Bills won the AFC east division with a strong offensive line, Hull playing between Ritcher andTim Vogler at right guard. They beat theHouston Oilers in the divisional round of the1988–89 NFL playoffs, as Kelly passed for 244 yards andThurman Thomas rushed for 75 yards in only 7 carries, but lost the AFC championship game to theCincinnati Bengals. In 1989, the Bills won the AFC east division title again but lost a divisional round match of the1989–90 NFL playoffs to theCleveland Browns.
In 1990, the Bills won the AFC east division again, beating theMiami Dolphins in the divisional round of the1990–91 NFL playoffs, destroying theLos Angeles Raiders 51–3 in the AFC championship game, but barely losing to theBill Parcells-ledNew York Giants inSuper Bowl XXV 20–19. In 1991, the Bills won the AFC east division again, beating theKansas City Chiefs in the divisional round of the1991–92 NFL playoffs, theDenver Broncos in the AFC championship game but losing to theJoe Gibbs-ledWashington Redskins inSuper Bowl XXVI. One more year of joy and frustration occurred in 1992, when the Bills won the AFC east division title again, beating theHouston Oilers in a wild-card game of the1992–93 NFL playoffs, thePittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round, theMiami Dolphins in the AFC championship game, but losing to theJimmie Johnson-ledDallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl XXVII. More joys and frustrations occurred in 1993, when the Bills won the AFC east division title again, beating theLos Angeles Raiders in the divisional round of the1993–94 NFL playoffs, theKansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game (rushing for 229 yards, 186 by Thomas), but losing to the Johnson-ledDallas Cowboys inSuper Bowl XXVIII.
The Bills ran out of gas in 1994, finishing only with a won-lost record of 7–9. But in 1995, the Bills came back to prominence by winning the AFC east divisional title to beat the Dolphins in a wild-card game of the1995–96 NFL playoffs, rushing for a ridiculous 334 yards, as Hull mauled the opposingdefensive tacklesTim Bowens andChuck Klingbeil as thoroughly asmiddle linebackerBryan Cox, but they lost a divisional round game to the Steelers. In 1996, Hull's final year in the NFL, the Bills made the playoffs but lost a wild-card game to theJacksonville Jaguars. In 1997, he was replaced by sophomoreDusty Zeigler.
From 1986 to 1993, he played next to Ritcher at left guard, forming a fine tandem in their hurry-up offense, and in the final two years with a very strongRuben Brown. During Hull's 11-year career in Buffalo, he played in 121 consecutive games from 1986 to 1993, as the Bills enjoyed eight winning seasons and won four consecutiveAFC titles. Named to thePro Bowl three times, he was also one of the team's captains for his final seven years. Most notably, he was the starting center for Buffalo during their record four straightSuper Bowl appearances from 1990 to 1993.
Hull was selected to the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, inducted into the Mississippi State University Sports Hall of Fame in 2000, received the Ralph C. Wilson Distinguished Service Award in 2001, was selected to the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and was the 19th inductee to the Wall of Fame atRalph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo in 2002. In 2012, he was added to Mississippi State University's Ring of Honor on Davis Wade Stadium, which is the highest recognition for Mississippi State Football. In 2013, theKent Hull Trophy was announced and is to be given annually to the best collegiate offensive lineman in the State of Mississippi. The first annual recipient was announced on November 27, 2013, to offensive guard Gabe Jackson of Mississippi State.
Hull died[3] at home inGreenwood, Mississippi on October 18, 2011. The cause was announced as a gastrointestinal bleed stemming from chronic liver disease, a condition which he had been battling for some time.[4] A review of his career was published inThe New York Times of November 7, 2011.[5]
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