He rose to league prominence as the general manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls—the most consecutive appearances by any team—but lost each time.

Polian grew up in the Fordham section of the Bronx in New York City and graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1960.

[3][4] The Blitz shut down in 1984, and Polian moved back to the Canadian Football League, where he assembled a Grey Cup winning team with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

[5] Early on in his career, he was a coach for the now defunct football teams at Manhattan College and the Trinity School, both in New York City.

[7] After the 1992 season, on February 4, 1993, after the Bills had appeared in, and lost, their 3rd straight Super Bowl, Polian was fired as general manager.

[10] He tried to create the quickest Super Bowl winner in history, and nearly did so, building a team that went to the NFC Championship Game in only its second year of existence.

In 2006, according to Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, Polian reportedly shoved a New York Jets employee by pinning him against a wall, for placing speakers too close to the field during warmups.

[20] The Bears would go on to hire Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and Kansas City Chiefs director of player personnel Ryan Poles for the respective positions.

Polian has nine grandkids: Annie, William, Jack, Caroline, Kate, Aidan, Charlotte, Finn, and Millie.