It can be argued the two most essential elements of what it means to be a westerner New Yorker are the Buffalo Bills and chicken wings. Jim Kelly or Josh Allen? The Anchor Bar or Duffs? These debates help make up the fabric of what being a Buffalonian is all about. What might surprise you though is the unlikely connection the Buffalo Bills and chicken wings have.

During the early years of the franchise, the Buffalo Bills featured a fierce running back named Cookie Gilchrist. For three seasons Gilchrist was an unstoppable force that no one could handle. His talents helped propel the Bills to their first AFL title in 1964 with the fans chanting “Lookie, Lookie here comes Cookie!”.

Gilchrist originally signed with the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted practice squad member in 1954 right out of high school which violated NFL rules, forcing him to play professional football in Canada before joining the Bills. Gilchrist was the first 1,000-yard American Football League rusher, with 1,096 yards in a 14-game schedule earning AFL MVP honors in 1962.

At the same time Gilchrist was tearing up the AFL, a restaurateur named John Young opened Wings & Things, becoming the first to promote chicken wings in the Buffalo telephone book. Young’s wings were uncut, breaded, deep-fried, and served with his secret, tomato-based Mambo Sauce, which is similar to barbecue sauce, but sweeter and a little spicier.

Around the same time, a couple named Frank and Teressa Bellissimo began selling chicken wings at the Anchor Bar, about a mile away from Wings & Things and have been credited by some for coming up with the concept, but Young insisted Frank would stop by his restaurant where he discovered them (in reality, the tasty treat can actually be traced back to 1857 when they were a featured entrée at the Clarendon Hotel).

Young, an African American entrepreneur, relied on word of mouth to promote his restaurant which struggled to keep its doors open. He didn’t have marketing dollars to promote his wings and the future looked bleak until a local football player walked in and started what would eventually lead to a $25 billion industry. That player was Gilchrist who was a hero in the Buffalo black community and word soon spread about Young’s restaurant and his chicken wings.

“People would come in buy 500 at a time and take them to the game,” said Adam Richman, food historian. “They have distinct memories of buying them from John Young.”

Wings & Things was located 6 blocks from War Memorial Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, which made it easy for fans to skip the stale popcorn and other bland concession items and enjoy what would become a football fans food fixation.  Soon other celebrities including James Brown, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes and Curtis Mayfield would stop by the restaurant to enjoy what would become a national obsession.

The mid-60’s was a turbulent time for African Americans. Gilchrist was an early civil rights advocate for black athletes and led a successful boycott of New Orleans as the site of the 1965 AFL All-Star game after numerous black players were refused service by area hotels and businesses (the game was moved to Houston’s Jeppesen Stadium).

Sadly, race riots forced Young to close his restaurant which was located in a predominantly black neighborhood, but thanks to his determination and the support of one of the greatest Buffalo Bills of all time, the relationship between the team and his chicken wing are forever linked together in history.