Tom Sestak joined Western New York as a 17th-round pick (132nd overall) in the 1962 AFL Draft from McNeese State. He quickly established himself as one of the most dominant defensive players in professional football. Throughout his seven-year career, he remained with the Bills, anchoring the interior of a formidable defensive line that led Buffalo to two consecutive league championships.

Sestak brought a unique blend of impressive size, lightning-fast quickness, and formidable upper-body strength to the 1960s AFL. Playing as a defensive tackle, he often darted through double-teams with a powerful swim move or disrupted rushing plays directly by driving guards straight into their quarterbacks. When it came to stopping the run, he had the agility to quickly move across gaps and tackle ball carriers before they could get past the line of scrimmage.

Sestak made a notable impact during his inaugural 1962 season, receiving First-Team All-AFL recognition and his initial AFL All-Star selection. His peak performance occurred in 1964, where he played a pivotal role as the driving force behind a defense that secured Buffalo’s first AFL Championship. During this period, Sestak achieved one of the most remarkable individual performances by an interior lineman in history. He led the AFL with an unofficial total of 15.5 sacks over just 14 regular-season games, which earned him First-Team All-AFL honors and his third consecutive AFL All-Star nomination.

Sestak backed that up during the 1965 championship defense, earning his fourth AFL All-Star trip and third First-Team All-AFL nod while leading a unit that set an AFL record by going 17 straight games without allowing a rushing touchdown.

Despite facing tough knee injuries that paused his career after the 1968 season, Sestak continued to be a strong presence during his seven years in Buffalo. He recorded an impressive 52.0 unofficial career sacks in just 85 regular-season games. His remarkable performance earned him a unanimous spot on the AFL All-Time Team, and Pro Football Weekly also recognized him by naming him to its All-1960s All-Pro team alongside Bob Lilly. In 1987, Buffalo proudly inducted Sestak into their Wall of Fame.