Billy Shaw dead at 85: Pro Football Hall of Famer and ex-Buffalo Bills legend dies following health battle

Shaw, who was an offensive lineman a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, passed away on Friday, October 4. His family confirmed that his death came as a result of hyponatremia, a condition in which the level of sodium in the blood is dangerously low.

The ex-American Football League (AFL) star is a legend of the sport and is one of the most-decorated team members in Buffalo Bills history. Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement: "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.

“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 gentlemen' off the field to everyone he encountered."

Shaw, born in Mississippi in 1938, kickstarted his sporting career when he accepted a football scholarship to Georgia Tech. After impressing at colligate level and even making the College All-Stars team, he was drafted into the Buffalo Bills in 1961, where he stayed for his entire senior paying career.

He won two AFL titles with the team and became an AP All-Pro five times during his senior career. He retired after the 1969 season before the AFL and NFL merged leagues.