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Bills CFO reveals intense inner workings of a Super Bowl teamFree Access

Grosse Pointe native Jeffrey Littmann describes how being part of a team fuels winning machine

Two powerhouse football teams are gearing up to compete for the biggest accomplishment in the National Football League on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have not seen this opportunity since 2003 when they beat the Oakland Raiders in their first ever Super Bowl Appearance.

Jeffrey Littmann, left, with Ralph Wilson, the late Grosse Pointe owner of the Buffalo Bills, “in the jungle” on the field before a Bengals game. Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Littmann

The defending Super Bowl Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, are coming into the game with confidence and experience, having won Super Bowl LIV in 2020 with quarterback Patrick Mahomes at the helm of the ship. Prior to 2020, the Chiefs had appeared in two Super Bowls over fifty years, one of which concluded in a victory in 1970. 

In anticipation of the upcoming game, it’s hard not to think about the elements that are required to bring a team to this point in the season and even further carry them through to a win. 

Grosse Pointe native Jeffrey Littmann, former chief financial officer of the Buffalo Bills, shed some insight into the day-to-day operations of these organizations and also a bit about how playing a role on a team can fuel a winning machine. 

Littmann worked side by side with Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson for a number of years. Beginning his professional career as a lawyer, accountant and a tax specialist, he met Wilson and thus embarked on his journey to the NFL. 

“I started as the CFO for the Bills in May of 1986 and by August I found myself in a suite in Texas with the GM and VP of Player Personnel negotiating to bring Jim Kelly to Buffalo. I was thrown in head first,” said Littmann.

 During his career with the Bills, Littmann saw the team compete in four consecutive Super Bowls, all of which brought an intense level of excitement and nervous anticipation to the table. 

 “Playing in the Super Bowl is definitely a two-edged sword,” he said,  

 “The beauty of the NFL is that we only have one product and that product is competing for the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Everything we do is geared around that competition and letting fans share in the fun, excitement and tension of that pure competition. It’s the highest of the highs for people involved in the game.” 

On the other hand, Littmann expressed that competing in the final game of the National Football League can also be “brutal.” The season is now extended, which means more wear and tear on the players and less time for recovery leading into next season. 

 There is also the struggle of keeping your winning team together to get back to the big game next year.   

 “If you win the Super Bowl, your players are now the most desired players in the NFL,” said Littmann. “Other teams want that feeling in the locker room and the leadership from the men that made it happen. Your guys are now worth more than they were the season before. Being the best team in the league, you now get last pick in each round of the draft. It’s a hard place to stay once you’ve gotten there. The reward for good work is more work.” 

 Despite the lows, no one would trade an opportunity to compete in this game. After losing the fourth Super Bowl with the Bills and being asked on a morning interview if it was time to give up, Ralph Wilson simply replied, “There are still 11 teams in the National Football Conference that have not beaten me in the Super Bowl and I want to give them that chance.” 

 The passion and drive that it takes for a team and an organization to collectively compete at this level is a prime example of the teamwork and leadership that Ralph Wilson poured into his work every day.   

 “He lived and breathed the game,” Littmann said. 

Littmann’s experience provides a unique perspective and first-hand insight into the key components that go into an organization performing at peak capacity. “You need top to bottom leadership, a GM that brings in the right kind of people that fit with the personality and talent that’s there. You need a coaching staff that brings the best out of each player individually and as teammates that come together to get it done.”

Heading into the Super Bowl LV on Sunday,  the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs will undoubtedly be bringing their best to the table in what will most likely be an unforgettable Championship football game.