Darrell Harper Darrell L . Harper ( June 18 , 1938 – January 19 , 2008 ) was an American football player . He played at the halfback position for the University of Michigan from 1957 to 1959 and for the Buffalo Bills in the 1960 AFL season . On September 11 , 1960 , Harper scored the first official points in the history of the Bills . He also holds the mark for the Bills ' first kickoff , first field goal and first extra point kick . University of Michigan . Harper attended high school in Royal Oak , Michigan , before enrolling at the University of Michigan in 1956 . He played football for the Michigan Wolverines football team from 1957 to 1959 . As a junior , Harper appeared in 7 of 9 games for the 1958 Michigan Wolverines football team , three of them as the starting left halfback . He was Michigan ' s leading rush er in 1958 , totaling 309 rushing yards , 137 receiving yards , 131 passing yards , 60 kickoff return yards and 33 punt return yards . Playing against Minnesota in October 1958 , Harper ran 58 yards for the game - winning touchdown on the first play of the second half . Harper also handled punting duties for Michigan ; he had a 61 - yard punt against Michigan State in October 1958 . As a senior , Harper started all nine games at the left halfback position for the 1959 Michigan Wolverines football team . In the third quarter of the October 1959 game against Minnesota , Harper caught punt at Michigan ' s 17 - yard line and returned it 83 yards for the game ' s first points . The return set the Michigan record for the longest punt return , a record which stood until 1972 when David Brown returned a punt 88 yards . During the 1959 season , Harper rushed for 224 yards rushing and also contributed 101 yards on punt returns , and 62 yards on kickoff returns . Buffalo Bills . Harper was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 15th round ( 171st overall pick ) of the 1960 NFL Draft . He signed instead with the Buffalo Bills in the newly - formed American Football League . Harper played as a halfback and place kicker for the 1960 Buffalo Bills and led the AFL with 10 extra points . At 2 : 08 p . m . on Sunday , September 11 , 1960 , Harper made the opening kickoff in the first regular - season game in the history of the Buffalo Bills . He also scored " the first official points " in Bills ' history ( and the first points in the game ) on a field goal from the 35 - yard line . After taking a 3 - 0 lead on Harper ' s field goal , Buffalo did not score again and lost by a score of 27 - 3 to the New York Titans . In the Bill ' s second game ( and home opener ) on September 18 , 1960 , Harper successfully converted the Bills ' first extra point kick after Wray Carlton ran for the team ' s first touchdown . Playing against the Los Angeles Chargers on October 2 , 1960 , Harper kicked the second field goal in team history . Later years and death . After finishing his career as a football player , Harper worked as a teacher and high school football coach for many years in Highland Township , Michigan . He also coached at Walled Lake Central High School . Harper died in January 2008 at age 69 . He died of complications of multiple myeloma at Huron Valley - Sinai Hospital in Commerce Township , Michigan .