Back in 1995-1999 I talked to Bruce Smith, Thurman Thomas and Jim Kelly and his family. I was only 6-11 but I went to Jim Kelly’s Hunter hope Foundation and i talked to them and it was really kool because Hunter was a Great kid he was kool i thought. Most of the Bills players was there at most of his Fund Raisers. Shocking I Talked to Dan Mario for a couple of min’s.

I was really hoping the Bills would draft Ford a few years ago. He’s really becoming a solid NFL player…

I went to high school with Calais Campbell, a starting DE for the Cardinals.

back when he was a sideline reporter for NBC (During the Chiefs playoff massacre, if I recall). My dad zoomed in for the shot and you can clearly see his leather gloves. Oops!

I was driving through Orchard Park in October of ’07 when I saw an old man with white hair and a BILLS windbreaker on. I had my brother pull over once we realized it was him and stood along the street and carried on a conversation for about 15 minutes. He called me a true “Buffalonian” since I drive from Pittsburgh every year to watch the Bills play once a year.

Brett Kern, the punter for the Broncos, went to Grand Island high school. I knew him fairly well and I’m sure a handful of other people on the blog do to. It’s not a connection to the Bills, but it’s still pretty cool. I used to be impressed when he’d get the occasional game on ESPN2 while playing at Toledo, but watching him be the holder for some game winning FGs and put up some of the better punting stats in the league is ridiculous.

Was a Groomsman at a wedding in Buffalo a few years back. Before the reception at Ilio DiPaulo’s, the wedding party was prepping for their fashionable entrances when an elderly man passed us in the coat area and commented on the groom’s cowboy hat and toy tractor he was riding (yes very strange choices). I believe the phrase was “Congratulations son, and nice tractor!”

Anyway, upon a double take we realized the elderly man was indeed mMarv Levy who was there for dinner with his family.

Met him after a Monday night game. My father, little brother and I talked with him for about 30 minutes. He was great. He asked us a lot of chit chat type questions. My favorite part was when he started pointing out other Bills players to us. He yelled for Nate Odoms to come over. Nate pulled his hoody up and ran.

I was in a picture on the front page of the Olean Times Herald (represent!) on Jim Kelly’s lap when I was five (insert creepy jokes here). They came to Olean for a function and I went to get autographs and such.

Also, my grandmother (who is old and probably a little off her rocker) insists that I am second cousins with Michigan, Falcons, Giants, Dolphins, and Jets kicker Jay Feely (my last name is Feely, which is certainly an uncommon name). Not with an “E” like A.J. Feeley, former Eagles QB.

When I played football in high school (never really played, sat the bench would be a more accurate description), we played against Clymer high school and running back Jehuu Caulcrick. Dude was a beast and absolutely dominated us. Went on to play four years at Michigan State and was on the Jets last year. Currently a free agent, according to wikipedia.

Many slight connections – not many Bills though:

- Met and chatted with Bart Starr in the Phoenix Airport back in the early 90s.
- spoke to Jim Kelly on a radio call-in show when as a teen I was living in AZ in the late 80s
- in college at UVA, met a few players here and there who eventually played in the NFL.
- I had a work-study job in the dorm Chris Slade (played LB for the Pats eventually) lived in as a freshman. I remember shaking his hand – it was enormous.
- Also at UVA, I remember a day when I was out on the “Lawn” (what many universities call a quad) and watched QB Matt Blundin (who at some point played 3rd-string QB for the Chiefs when Montana was there) pick up a football and throw it about 70 yds so effortlessly it looked like he was pitching a penny into a fountain.

I went to Highschool and was in the same Highschool Fraternity with Steven Jackson the St. Louis Rams running back! Pretty cool and down to earth dude! Wish I could say I played football with him but we went to a vocational Highschool and didn’t have a football team! So we had to play for our regular zoned highschool team, and our highschools never played each other!

my friends are pretty close with Mike Patterson of the Eagles….and I met him a few times. Actually, the first time I met him, I smiled and said I was a Bills fan. He then asked if the Eagles were my “NFC” team, to which I politely replied “Sorry, there’s only room for one team in my heart” and my friends asked me if I had lost my mind. I was also invited with them to Dhani Jones’s house when he played for them as the whole team was going to be there for Mike’s birthday.

In 2007 I met all of the Bills rookies at Flemming high school in Toronto ( I live there)
Poz was my favourite as I was one of the only BIlls fans there and I knew the whole draft class. I got all of their autographs. This was after trents first start against the Jets. I only could say hi to marshawn for a little because everyone knew him so he had to speak to everyone but I was the only one there with a Bills jersey on and he certainly respected that.

This year, we had on-field passes for the Browns game ( I know) and I met Joe D walking in. I also spoke to Brad Butler for awhile. On the field I spoke to George Wilson and Jonathan Stupar. I also said hi to Marcus Stroud and Reggie Corner. We got a lot of nice autographs and it was a very fun day.

they used to come to rochester all the time and have meet and greets/autograph signings at area wegmans and at the malls. i met at least probably 10 of them from back in the day.

I was coached in HS by Tom Myslinski Sr. whose son Tom Jr. is the Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Cleveland Browns, whom we just lost too recently, I know Tom and his brother Tim very well and they have always been some of the nicest people you will ever want to meet. Check it here

I played against former NFL WR and Michigan big time guy Marquise Walker, who was simply a freaking stud in the College and HS ranks not so much the pros as seen here

The Bills used to have training camp in Fredonia, NY where I grew up. I met many of them during camp in the early 90’s as well as around town. Lots of locals worked the camp and got to know the players. Well, my cousin started dating a few players here and there during camp (Insert Joke here) and occasionally brought some of them by the house for dinner during camp. So we hosted 3 different players for dinner during different camps, Andre Reed, Chris Hale, and Nate Odoms. The coolest was Andre, it was his second year in the league, so still unknown, and I have pictures of me, my brother, and sister hanging off of Andre’s Biceps like they were a trapize. His arms were huge. But of course I got board (was 10 at the time) so I left to go skateboarding with friends, what an idiot I was, especially since he turned into a future HOF player. The other guys were alright just reall quite.

Also, talked to Marv a lot, he used to run/walk the town everyday during training camp. Such a nice guy. I also worked later at the local country club and got to meet and talk to Thruman, Jimbo, Bruce, and Talley. They all sucked at golf at the time, I can remember watching Talley on the first hole, topping his way down the fairway.

I grew up about 4 blocks from Roger Craig’s family. Older brother Curtis was drafted by the Bills, but didn’t stick.
Roger was an absolute beast at Davenport (Iowa) Central High. I was a sophomore receiver/safety his senior year. Bench warmer and erstwhile punt returner. He ran for over 300 yds in the state playoffs against Cedar Rapids, We lost. Jamie Williams, who also went on to a nice career with the KC Chiefs was also on that hs team.

Was also a few years ahead of Kurt Warner at the U of Northern Iowa. Don’t know him personally, but have mutual friends. Is universally thought of as a hell of a person. His wife is from my hometown, and they routinely donate large sums of money to the hs programs. every year without fail.

I finished college at the U of Iowa during the mid 80’s. I was in the endzone when #1 Iowa beat #2 Michigan in i think was 85?, 12-10. ha! college was fuzzy. Ronnie Harmon was indeed an arse.

Nothing on a personal level. One of my buddies is friends with Brian Leonhard who is from upper upper upstate NY.

At training camp I chatted with Rian Lindell, Brian Moorman, and the Dereks for a little bit. They all seemed like nice guys.

If you want to meet some players stick around after the game and go to the Big Tree Inn (in Orchard Park, not Geneseo) and guys will show up. Andre Reed hit on my sister-in-law a few weeks ago after the Browns game.