Why Eric Moulds Deserves to Be On the Bills Wall of Fame
The Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame was created in 1980 to celebrate former players, coaches, and administrators who played essential roles in the team’s history. 31 inductees have been enshrined in the Wall of Fame since its inception. However, no one has been inducted since 1962 AFL MVP Cookie Gilchrist received the honor in 2017. With a new stadium being prepped for the 2026 season, why not add more Bills legends' names to the Wall of Fame? This edition will show why Eric Moulds deserves to be on the Wall of Fame.
The 1990s were a great decade for the Bills, winning four AFC Championships and trotting out one of the most feared offenses of all time headlined by Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Andre Reed. In 1996, the Bills added yet another weapon to their premier offense by drafting Moulds with the 24th overall pick. It took the former Mississippi State Bulldog a few seasons to get ramped up in Buffalo, trailing in the depth chart to Reed and Quinn Early for his first two seasons. However, he proved to be the right choice as a successor to the soon-to-be Hall of Famer, who was 34 years old in Moulds’ breakout season in ‘98. That year, Moulds caught 67 passes for 1,368 yards and nine touchdowns, indicating a new number-one receiver emerging in Buffalo.
At the turn of the century, Moulds established himself as the top receiver with Reed playing one final season in Washington before retiring. Unfortunately for the six-foot-two,190-pound wideout, he came into his own during the midst of the Bills’ infamous 17-season playoff drought. Despite only playing in three playoff games for the Bills, his performance never faltered, leading the Bills in receiving yards for eight consecutive seasons from 1998-2005. Eventually, age caught up to Moulds just as it did to Reed when he was younger. Lee Evans emerged as the top receiver and Buffalo traded the then-32-year-old wide receiver to the Texans for their fifth-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft, conveniently being the pick that the team used to select Kyle Williams, the inaugural pick in this series, and wasn’t able to replicate his production from the Bills. In his final two seasons, he averaged 45 catches for 450 yards and a touchdown in Houston and Tennessee before retiring.
Moulds solidified himself as a Bills legend by earning three Pro Bowls and two Second-Team All-Pro selections. While the accolades aren’t groundbreaking, one must remember that he rarely saw peak quarterback play. During his 10 seasons in Buffalo, only two quarterbacks earned a Pro Bowl selection, Doug Flutie in 1998 and Drew Bledsoe in 2002. This means Moulds made more Pro Bowls than the people throwing him the ball. The Lucedale, Mississippi native ranks second in franchise history for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. As if that’s not reason enough to put him on the wall, he was selected to the Bills 50th Anniversary Team and is also a Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame member.
