Buffalo Bills Retire from Thurman Thomas No. 34

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Thurman Thomas has recalled a call that he received from his former Buffalo Bills teammate, Bruce Smith, a few weeks ago.

"Do you know what that means your shirt is removed?" Smith asked Thomas. "Do you realize the importance?"

"Yes, now," Thomas told a sold-out crowd at New Era Field on Monday night. "Now that I am with you, I realize it even more."

The Bills pulled out Thomas No. 34 at a halftime ceremony of the Buffalo match against the New England Patriots. He is the third player in the history of the Bills to receive this honor. Jim Kelly saw his number 12 retired in 2001 and Smith's number 78 was retired in 2016.

At the end of the exhausted stage, highlights of Thomas' Hall of Fame career were on the video display board, while two projectors projected 34 points on the field.

ESPN's longtime broadcaster, Chris Berman, introduced Thomas, who was joined by his family on a raised platform in the middle of the field. His name and number were unveiled on a wall above the eastern zone.

"When I look up and see the number 34 go out under my name, I'm reminded that this number does not belong to me," Thomas said. "It belongs to Bills fans around the world."

Kelly and Smith were among several former teammates who attended the ceremony on the field. Hall of Fame Coach Marv Levy and former General Manager Bill Polian were also part of the group.

Earl Campbell, one of two ballooners in the Hall of Fame with Walter Payton, who prompted Thomas to wear number 34, recorded a video message for the ceremony.

Thomas has played 12 of his 13 seasons in Buffalo and leads the franchise in rushing yards (11,938) and yards in the game (16,279). He was voted NFL MVP and offensive player of the year in 1991 and led the league in yards after a scrum four consecutive seasons from 1989 to 1992.

The Bills put Thomas on their Wall of Fame in 2005, two years before he was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame.

Nine other players took the number 34 for the Bills, including Cookie Gilchrist, the most valuable player in the American Football League in 1962 and the star of the AFL team in Buffalo in 1964.

Oklahoma State College and Willowridge High School in Houston also paid tribute to Thomas, retiring at 34th place.