Ultimately, running back Ed Rutkowski, who hadn't played the quarterback position since college six years prior, ended up starting at quarterback for the Bills.
In 1979, he became the County Executive of Erie County, New York, succeeeding Edward Regan, who stepped down to become New York State Comptroller.
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He was the second quarterback from the Bills to enter politics; the first was his teammate Jack Kemp.
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In 1987, Rutkowski was defeated for reelection by Assemblyman Dennis Gorski, who, in his election campaign, claimed that Rutkowski had mismanaged county finances and spent the county into a deficit.
He shared the starting job with Ed Rutkowski, Kay Stephenson and Tom Flores in 1968 while long-time starter and former AFL MVP Jack Kemp was out with an injury.