If salaries mean anything, the Buffalo Bills have an edge on the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XXVI. The average salary per Bills starter in Sunday's game is $560,708. The Redskins' starters average slightly less, at $547,083.
Neither franchise is chintzy by NFL standards when it comes to payrolls. Buffalo's total payroll of $25,641,500 amounted to the fifth highest in the National Football League this season, while Washington's $25,347,500 ranked No. 6.The highest-paid player is Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelley, at $2,250,000 per season. Next comes Buffalo defensive end Bruce Smith at $1.4 million. Washington's best-paid player is quarterback Mark Rypien at $1,250,000 per season, followed by linebacker Wilber Marshall's $1.2 million salary.
The only other millionaire on either team is Washington receiver Art Monk, at $1 million even. Buffalo running back Thurman Thomas, however, has signed a seven-figure deal that will go into effect for the 1992 season.
The lowest salary for Sunday's starters is the $160,000 made by Buffalo offensive tackle Glenn Parker. The lowest-paid Redskin is offensive guard Mark Schlereth at $200,000. Schlereth, who was named to this year's Pro Bowl team, is also unarguably the best bargain on either team.
Washington linebacker Matt Millen has qualified for a Super Bowl with a third different team. He played in previous Super Bowls with the Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.
Talking about his various Hall of Fame coaches, including Bill Walsh, Joe Gibbs, Tom Flores, and Joe Paterno, who he played for in college at Penn State, Millen said, "The one common thread with each of them is that each is totally convinced his way is the right way."
Buffalo punter Chris Mohr is a refugee from the World League of American Football. Out of NFL work last spring, he signed on with the Montreal Machine and saw the world.
"The travel was tough, but other than that everything was a positive," said Mohr, who finished the season with the Machine in June and reported directly to the Bills' training camp. There, he beat out incumbent Rick Tuten for the punting job.
"I wouldn't have been able to show what I was capable of doing without the World League," said Mohr, whose 42.7 average led the WLAF.
Besides ex-BYU players Jason Buck and Kurt Gouveia, the Washington Redskins have offensive tackle Mo Elewonibi, a Cougar All-American and Outland Trophy winner in 1989, on their injured reserve roster.
Elewonibi hurt his knee in training camp and was put on IR for the season.
- Lee Benson