Polian (second from right) with Tony Dungy in 2007.
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Position: | Executive |
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Personal information | |
Date of birth: | December 8, 1942 |
Career information | |
High school: | Bronx (NY) Mount Saint Michael |
College: | NYU |
Career history | |
As executive: | |
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William Patrick "Bill" Polian, Jr. (born December 8, 1942) is an NFL analyst for ESPN and former American football executive. He was the Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League from 1998 to 2011. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls—the most consecutive appearances by any team—but lost each time. Following his stint in Buffalo, Polian went on to become the General Manager of the expansion Carolina Panthers.
Polian grew up in the Fordham section of the Bronx in New York City and graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1960. He attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy and graduated from New York University in 1964 with a history degree. At NYU, Polian played at safety for the NYU Violets football team. He lived in Cornwall, NY from 1977 to 1983.
Prior to Polian's tenure in Buffalo, he began his career in professional football with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Blitz of the United States Football League, before moving to the Canadian Football League, where he assembled Grey Cup winning teams with the Montreal Alouettes and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Early on in his career, he was a coach for the now defunct football teams at Manhattan College and the Trinity School, both in New York City.