Stew Barber

Stewart Clair Barber (June 14, 1939 – June 11, 2025) was an American professional football player who was an offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League (AFL). He was twice named first-team All-AFL and was chosen to play in five consecutive AFL All-Star Games. He was on two AFL championship teams. He was later an executive for the Bills in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Early life Barber was born on June 14, 1939, in Bradford, Pennsylvania to Arthur Clair and Jeanne Stewart Barber. He attended Bradford High School (now Bradford Area High School), where he played tackle on the football team. It is also reported he played end for four years in high school, on offense and defense. He broke his father's high school shot put record. He started on the 1959 Penn State team that defeated the University of Alabama, 7–0, in the first Liberty Bowl.

As a 6 ft 3, 233 lb (105.7 kg) senior in 1960, he played 305 minutes out of a possible 540 minutes in nine regular season games. was also named to both of those first teams. United Press International (UPI) also named Barber to its All-East team.

He graduated with a degree in business administration. He was drafted two rounds after future Hall of Fame left guard Billy Shaw, whom Barber would play next to on the Bills' offensive line from 1962 to 1969. On January 8, 1961, he signed with the Bills. It was expected the 6 ft 3 in 230 lb (104.3 kg) Barber would play guard or defensive end with the Bills, because of his aggressiveness, quickness and agility.

In the Bills' 1961 training camp, the rookie Barber originally played guard, tackle and defensive end. Due to a need at the linebacker position, coach Buster Ramsay converted Barber to linebacker in August; and Barber impressed Ramsay with his play at right linebacker. During his 1961 rookie season, Barber started eight of 14 games in which he played at outside linebacker. He had three interceptions and two quarterback sacks. In a November 19 game against the Denver Broncos he returned an interception for a 21-yard touchdown.

In 1962, the Bills new head coach Lou Saban moved Barber to left offensive tackle, From 1962 to 1968, Barber started in every game Bills game. In 1967, he started some games at left guard, rather than left tackle, replacing the injured Billy Shaw at the start of the season. In his final season, 1969, Barber started nine of the 13 games in which he played; including some time at left guard for Shaw who had a leg injury in 1969.

Barber was selected to play in the AFL All-Star game for five consecutive seasons (1963 to 1967). In 1963 and 1964, the Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) named him first-team All-AFL and the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA) named him second-team All-AFL in 1963 and 1965, and first-team in 1964. The AP named him second-team All-AFL in 1966. He helped the Bills win two straight AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965.

Barber announced his retirement shortly after the 1969 season ended.

Legacy and honors From 1961 to 1969, Barber played in 125 consecutive games for the Bills, starting 115 or 119 consecutive games. He missed only one game in his nine-year career when a back injury caused him to miss the last game of the 1969 season. In 1984, he was selected to the Bills' Silver Anniversary All-Time Team.

Coach, executive and scout After his playing career ended, Barber became a coach in the World Football League (WFL) in 1974. He was the offensive line coach under head coach Babe Parilli for the New York Stars, who moved during the 1974 season to Charlotte, North Carolina (becoming the Charlotte Hornets). In 1975, he was the offensive line coach for the WFL’s Chicago Winds.

Barber worked in the Buffalo Bills front office from 1975 to 1983 as a college scout (1975), assistant general manager (1976) and administrative vice president and general manager. He was the Bills vice president in charge of administration and general manager from 1979 to early 1983. On March 14, 1983, the Bills reported that he resigned from the team. It is also reported, however, that during Barber’s tenure he had a difficult relationship with head coach Chuck Knox who had power over salary negotiations rather than Barber.