Simpson with their pick. Offensive lineman Bob Kalsu left the team after his 1968 rookie season to serve in the Vietnam War. He never returned; Kalsu was killed in action in 1970 and is often cited by Bills fans as the first professional football player to die in action in war during his playing career. This is not true, as Young Bussey and Jack Lummus were still of playing age when they left the NFL to serve in World War II and were killed in action a few years later. Kalsu would be one of two NFL players to lose their life in Vietnam. While the Bills struggled in these years, talent remained on the roster and there were some memorable moments, including Buffalo's lone win in 1968, a 37-35 victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Jets, and a gutty Thanksgiving Day, 1968 performance against the high-flying Oakland Raiders. Players during these years who gave Bills fans sparks of excitement and optimism were Simpson, quarterback Dennis Shaw, wide receivers Haven Moses and Marlin Briscoe, and running back Max Anderson. In 1969 the Bills also drafted Grambling's star James Harris, who earned the Bills' starting quarterback position for a time before going on to more success with the Los Angeles Rams. Harris' success helped to break a de facto racial barrier at the quarterback position. 1972–1977: Saban returns to Turn on "the Juice:" The "Electric Company" era Before the 1969 season, the Bills drafted running back O. J. Simpson, who would become the face of the franchise through the 1970s. The NFL-AFL merger placed Buffalo in the AFC East division with the Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, and Colts. Their first season in the NFL saw the team win only three games, lose ten, and tie one. In 1971, not only did the Bills finish in sole possession of the NFL's worst overall record at 1–13, but they also scored the fewest points (184) in the league that year while allowing the most (394); no NFL team has since done all three of those things in the same season in a non-strike year. They thus obtained the #1 draft pick for 1972, which was Notre Dame DE Walt Patulski. Despite good on-field performances, he struggled with injuries before being traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1976. Lou Saban, who had coached the Bills' AFL championship teams, was re-hired in