In this Bonus Podcast, we discuss the release of Kelvin Benjamin making way for younger guys from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad to make an impact in the last four weeks of the regular season. One of those players is rookie DE Mike Love, who just became part of the Buffalo Bills 53-man roster.
Sidenote: Have you ever noticed that some of the most compelling parts of sports is the stories behind the athletes? Where they come from, who they are, and what they’ve overcome?
Bills DE Mike Love (6’-3” 255lbs) has that kind of a compelling story. In these two interviews (one from the middle of OTAs, and one before the fourth and final preseason game), we talk a lot about Mike’s background. His life follows a similar storyline to the movie “The Blind Side”, without all of the Hollywood script-editing. He came from a humble background-- a single mother with 4 young boys to take care of, but no authority to keep him line. He created a friendship with his friend Dalton Martinez, saw his family structure, and knew that if he could be a part of something like that, he might not go down the wrong path. With his mother’s permission, he moved in with the Martinez family, got his grades up, made honor roll, played well in high school football and had multiple scholarship offers from Division 1 colleges. In college at USF, he overcame injuries (surgeries on both knees and his foot), got his Master’s Degree at USF, and went undrafted. With the support of both of his families, he’s had to work hard to get to this point in his career, and after our discussions, it’s not difficult to see why he’s gotten the opportunity that he has this season... that few ever get.
He also discusses his skill set as a defensive end, the Bills’ coaching and personnel staff, the “Playoff-Caliber” culture and “Respecting the Process” in the locker room, what a day is like as a Bills player, what other players have told him about the Bills Mafia, and talks a little about some guys on the team like Josh Allen. He’s an easy guy to root for, and we hope you will all be looking for him Sunday and in the future! Go Bills!
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