The Bills were leading the Oakland Raiders 23-20 in the waning seconds at War Memorial Stadium, but the Raiders were driving for a potential game-tying field goal attempt. Oakland quarterback Cotton Davidson dumped a screen pass off to Billy Cannon, and the former Heisman Trophy winner raced through Buffalo territory with his eyes fixed on the sideline because he needed to get out of bounds to prevent time from running out on the Raiders.

Before Cannon could get there, however, Jacobs picked his way through the maze of blockers, wrapped up Cannon and flung him to the ground inbounds at the Bills 32. After the final frantic seconds ticked off, Jacobs was mobbed by back-slapping teammates.

Jacobs had no recollection of the play because he prefers not to think about the past.

"I don't have a very good memory that way," he said. "I have a life now that is very exciting, and that's the way I live it. I watched a couple of guys when I first came out of football who had been out of the game for a few years and they were still very much living in the past, back to the time when they played. I decided right then that wasn't for me."

Perhaps Jacobs doesn't remember the play because it was one of hundreds he made while anchoring the middle of the Bills defense for seven seasons (1963-69). They called him the "Baby-faced Assassin" because the thoughtful, intelligent Jacobs looked like the insurance salesman that he was off the field, yet was a hard-hitting competitor when he stepped between the white lines.

"I liked to hit people," he said. "I figured I better if I was going to play middle linebacker."

Because the NFL was far more visible in the 1960s than the AFL, football fans knew about middle linebackers such as Chicago's Dick Butkus, Atlanta's Tommy Nobis, Green Bay's Ray Nitschke and the Giants' Sam Huff. But Jacobs was every bit as hard a hitter and defensive play-caller as those NFL legends.

"It was an enjoyable spot for me," he said. "I loved it because I had all the action, not like it is today when they come out in passing situations. I was the defensive quarterback, and being in a chess game with that offensive quarterback was great."

Jacobs' longevity may be the most impressive entry on his football resume. Only 17 men can say that their careers spanned the entire 10-year history of the AFL. But only Jacobs can say that he started in the first AFL game ever played, and the last.

On Sept. 9, 1960, Jacobs started for the Boston Patriots when they hosted the Denver Broncos in the inaugural AFL game. Ten years later, on Jan. 17, 1970, Jacobs started for the East Division all-stars in the league finale, its all-star game.

"I wasn't the fastest guy, I wasn't the biggest guy, but I think I was one of the smarter fellas out there," Jacobs said. "But put it all together and I don't think you would have said that I would have played 11 years of pro football. I think God had a plan for that, I give him credit."