MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Darryl Talley spent his professional career with the Buffalo Bills playing in the shadows of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, James Lofton, Bruce Smith, Cornelius Bennett and Shane Conlan, but many of his teammates and others are lending their hands to help change that.
 
Talley was one of approximately 200 players recently nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025 in the Seniors category, and a group of Talley's former West Virginia University and Bills teammates have joined ranks to help increase awareness of Talley's strong case.
 
The outside linebacker played a vital role in Buffalo's AFC East dominance from 1988 to 1993 that included four consecutive Super Bowl appearances from 1990-93.
 
The 6-foot-4, 235-pound defender was drafted by Buffalo in the second round in 1983, and he became a starter soon after. By the late 1980s, Talley was considered one of pro football's best outside linebackers in the popular 3-4 defensive scheme of that era.
 
He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1990 and 1991, and he also earned first team All-Pro status in 1990 and 1993. Talley never missed a game during his 12-year career with the Bills before playing additional seasons with the Atlanta Falcons in 1995 and the Minnesota Vikings in 1996.
 
In 14 professional seasons, the East Cleveland, Ohio, resident amassed 1,252 tackles, 38½ sacks and 12 interceptions, two of those going for touchdowns. Talley is considered among the top players in franchise history and was the heart and soul of Buffalo's defense during its peak years in the early 1990s.
 
"He was the leader of our defense," quarterback Jim Kelly, a 2002 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee, said during a video testimonial. "He told Bruce and Cornelius where they should go."
 
Smith, also a Pro Football Hall of Fame member, praised Talley's football intelligence and savvy play.
 
"Not only the talent that Darryl possessed, but his football IQ was second to none," Smith said. "When you have those great combinations, you are able to make plays. Unfortunately, his play was overshadowed because he played next to me, but I wouldn't trade Darryl Talley for any other linebacker that has played in the modern era because he was so unselfish. 
 
"He could make plays all over the football field, but being that student of the game and being able to communicate with each and every player what they were supposed to be doing on any given down when a defensive play was called, that's an invaluable player that you have to have on your football team," Smith added.
 
Opponents also rained praise on Talley.
 
Offensive tackle Anthony Munoz, a 1998 Hall of Fame recipient, went up against Talley many times when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals.
 
"Darryl Talley was one of the most underrated defensive players, a guy who was amazing," Munoz said. "With him and Bruce Smith on the same side … unbelievable."
 
New England Patriots linebacker Andre Tippett was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2008, and he believes Talley is worthy of induction as well.
 
"Darryl Talley is probably one of the best 3-4 defensive linebackers that I know of in our era," Tippett stated. "I know that as a player against the run, pass, rushing the quarterback, Darryl was a great player."
 
New York Giants outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor, perhaps the best-ever at his position in pro football history, is another who believes Talley belongs among pro football's immortals in Canton, Ohio.
 
"Are you kidding me? Yes, he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame," Taylor said. "I don't know how they put people in and how it's done, but Talley, back in our day in my era, he was a tough linebacker to play against, and I know one daggone thing, people on my team respected him."
 
There are currently 22 other linebackers under consideration in the Seniors category and 182 total nominees this year. Players who last appeared in a game during the 1999 season are considered among the Seniors group.
 
The Seniors Screening Committee will reduce the list to 50 players later this fall and then that list will be pared to three finalists for possible election with the Class of 2025. Typically, once Senior nominees reach that point, the regular Hall of Fame Selection Committee rubber stamps their approval. 
 
If Talley does advance through the process, he will have plenty of advocates among regular Hall of Fame voting members. Lofton, former team executive Bill Polian and longtime Buffalo sports journalist Vic Carucci are on this year's Hall of Fame Selection Committee.
 
Former standout Mountaineer and Dallas Cowboys player Chuck Howley navigated this process last year to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
 
West Virginia teammate Oliver Luck, who played against Talley in the NFL when he quarterbacked the Houston Oilers, is also among those hoping to increase awareness of Talley's strong Hall of Fame credentials.
 
"Those Bills defenses are legendary with Cornelius Bennett and Bruce Smith, but Darryl was a great player in his own right. He could stuff the run. He always kept contain and he could drop back and cover as well as any linebacker of that era," Luck recalled. "I think Darryl deserves serious consideration for the Hall of Fame. He was a phenomenal player who always did it with grace and a smile."

Talley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
 
West Virginia has three other players on this year's Pro Football Hall of Fame ballot of modern-era players: quarterback Marc Bulger, place kicker Mike Vanderjagt and punter Pat McAfee.
 
Talley's Buffalo teammate Bennett is also on the modern-era player list.
 
Like the Seniors process, the Screening Committee will reduce the modern-era player list to 50, to be announced in mid-October, and then to 25 semifinalists later this fall. That list will be further pared to 15 finalists and the 2025 Class, which consists of three, four or five modern-era players, will be announced prior to Super Bowl LVIX. Each candidate must receive at least 80% approval of the Committee to be elected.
 
There are currently four individuals with West Virginia University ties in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They are players Joe Stydahar (inducted in 1967), Sam Huff (inducted in 1982) and Howley (inducted in 2023), and coach Earle "Greasy" Neale (inducted in 1967).