Buffalo Bills helmet (Photo by Getty Images)
The football world is mourning the death of a former Buffalo Bills star, with Billy Shaw confirmed to have passed away this weekend.

Shaw’s family disclosed that the late guard left them while at his home in Toccoa, Ga., on Friday. His wife, Patsy, and their three daughters were at his bedside at the time of his passing.

Shaw was 85.

According to his family, hyponatremia was the cause of death. Hyponatremia is attributed to low levels of sodium in the blood.

“Billy Shaw holds the distinction of being the only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame to play his entire career in the American Football League, but while that fact is worthy of noting and nice to recite, it comes nowhere near providing the reason he was elected as a member of the Class of 1999,” Hall of Fame President & CEO Jim Porter said, per the Hall of Fame website. “Billy’s all-around athleticism brought a new dimension to the guard position and made the 1960s Buffalo Bills a formidable opponent capable of bruising opponents with a punishing rushing attack.

“And while Billy could be unforgiving to anyone in his way on the football field, he was the classic example of the ‘Southern gentleman’ off the field to everyone he encountered.” 

Billy Shaw was born in Natchez, Miss., in 1938. He played his high school football at Carr Central High School and went on to represent Georgia Tech as a two-way tackle.

He was drafted by the Bills, as well as the Dallas Cowboys, in 1961 but opted to play for Buffalo, where he would spend his entire nine-year career.

TPS offers condolences to Billy’s family, friends, and loved ones.

R.I.P. Billy Shaw – 1938-2024.