Archives for August 2002

Mickey Cochran of Zeeland HS (Zeeland, MI) by Jay Riemersma, Buffalo Bills

O'Shei, who has covered the Bills extensively since 1994 and has been writing exclusively for buffalobills.com since April of 2001, will discuss the progress of the Bills at Training Camp and the potential roster moves the team may make over the next few weeks.

‘Since being selected by the Bills in the sixth round of the 2001 draft, Driver has been almost as busy off the field as he has been on it. He represented the team in May when Buffalo hosted the Special Olympics, helped stage a football clinic for women, appeared at an ice skating show and at events celebrating Black History Month, and worked as a server for a Buffalo Children’s Hospital benefit. Driver is also a frequent visitor to hospitals and nursing homes.’

The Bills were very happy with the play of Wire against the run in the Bengals game. If not for the great tackling by Wire, Cincinnati would have scored at least two more touchdowns and rushed for at least 100 more yards. However, Wire still seems uncertain in coverage. Nevertheless, he is almost a cinch to start for Buffalo, which generally plays its strong safety in the box in Gregg Williams’ defensive scheme.

Buffalobills.com put running back Sammy Morris in the hot seat for the two minute drill. Read what he had to say about about his teammates.

In advance of the Bills second home game of the season vs. the Minnesota Vikings this Friday evening, the team would like to remind fans of the policies that will be in effect at Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2002.

Over the past 30 years, only two players have worn No. 12 for the Bills: Jim Kelly and Joe Ferguson. Those two names are also atop most of Buffalo’s all-time career passing lists. An All-Conference quarterback at Arkansas, Ferguson was selected in the third round of the 1973 draft. The Louisiana native had thought that he might end up staying close to his roots.

Friday's game: Drew Bledsoe will play at least the majority of the first half. Travis Brown will work the bulk of the second half.

‘The team is negotiating with free agent Chidi Ahanotu, and all signs point to him signing with the Bills, perhaps as early as today.’

‘You can debate the importance of a single preseason game, but the defensive performance in last Friday’s opener against Cincinnati was troubling, to say the least.’

‘"The whole deal is how you approach it. There’s no such thing as a problem. It’s just a challenge and a situation you’ve got to rise to. That’s part of being a pro athlete." – Offensive line coach Ronnie Vinklarek on players replacing injured starters.’

‘Todd DeLamielleure is the 23-year-old son of Joe DeLamielleure, a standout Buffalo Bills offensive guard and member of the "Electric Company" line that blocked for O.J. Simpson. Now it’s the son’s turn, as a 5-11, 240-pound linebacker in the Indianapolis Colts’ training camp, to try to make it in the NFL.’

‘On the practice field, water and Gatorade are everywhere. Denying players water breaks is from the leather-helmet era. Football may still be the ultimate macho game, but when the thermometer soars into the mid-90s and the humidity drives the heat index more than 100 degrees, the advice is be smart, not manly.’

‘He’s no better than sixth or seventh on the depth chart, battling to get 100 percent healthy after a series of leg and ankle injuries, trying to make the most of the few repetitions he receives in live training camp drills.’

‘Price, a defensive tackle, and Ahanotu, an end, would bring a combined 18 years and 240 games of NFL experience to a Bills’ line where six-year veteran Pat Williams is the most tenured player.’