 In January 1962, Saban was named the coach of the Buffalo Bills, another AFL team, signing a one-year contract worth $ 20,000 ($ 156,458 in 2016 dollars). The Bills had a 7 – 6 – 1 record in Saban's first season and came in third in the AFL's eastern division behind the Houston Oilers and the Patriots. Cookie Gilchrist, a running back who signed with the Bills after nine years in the Canadian Football League, won most valuable player honors that year and recorded the AFL's first 1,000-yard rushing season. Saban also acquired Jack Kemp, a quarterback, from the San Diego Chargers, who had put him out on waivers while he recovered from a finger injury. Sportswriter Randy Schultz called it one of the biggest bargains in professional football history.
