Archives for July 31, 2009

‘Hawthorne had surgery on his left foot in June and had missed the first six days of training camp in suburban Rochester. Hawthorne, who’s from Biloxi, Miss., spent last season on the Bills practice squad after enjoying a solid college career at Hawaii.’

‘Corey Mace, the key player involved in the trade that sent CFL all-star receiver Arland Bruce to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats on Wednesday, has signed with the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.’

‘Buffalo’s roster total is at 80.’

‘”Every year I’ve been here I’ve played, and it gave me experience to build on, to get better,” Ellison said after Thursday night’s practice at St. John Fisher College. “There are things that I’ve seen enough now where it becomes second nature. That’s been a tremendous help for me.”‘

‘”Adding (Owens) just makes it even harder, but all the guys you go up against, you’re going to have a challenge,” McGee said.’

‘”I came into the NFL as a defensive lineman, then (special teams coach Bobby April) showed me the value of a long snapper,” Neill said after a recent training camp practice at St. John Fisher College. “I’ve fulfilled my dream of playing in the NFL. It hasn’t gone the way I thought it would, but I am glad to be here.”‘

‘”We have the right athlete and the right marketplace,” Ballou said. “T. O. certainly does a very good job of marketing himself, and it was a good fit. . . . I’m from Pittsburgh, and Bills fans truly are the greatest fans.”‘

‘You did not need to be a football scout to watch the practice and realize Wood is a top NFL prospect.’

‘For the record, the striping on the sleeves is not identical to the striping on the jerseys of the ’60s, whereas the sleeve striping on the blue throwbacks is the same as in the old days. Regardless, they looked great.’

‘"I love the X’s and O’s of football," said Fitzpatrick, who signed with the Bills as a free agent. "I’ve been in three different systems and this is my fourth, so I’ve seen a lot of different things."’

‘Then the new throwback uniforms were modeled by players such as Owens, Donte Whitner, Lee Evans and Chris Kelsay among others and they were warmly received. The evening ended with a fireworks display, and the Bills would sure love to be that noisy on offense this season. If Wood and fellow rookie Andy Levitre can win jobs and hold their own, it would go a long way toward that end.’

‘"It’s a breakfast thing of choice," he said with a huge smile. "This is equivalent to (being on a box) of Wheaties. It’s better than Wheaties."’

‘"There have been some sleepless nights because of the anticipation," says Smith, who played 15 of his 19 NFL seasons as a defensive end for the Bills. "This will forever change my life."’

‘”It has been a long time coming,” said Wood of the opportunity to put the pads back on. “The tough thing is, these are your teammates, so you don’t want to be finishing people, but at the same time, that is the way I play. I am not trying to get in fights with my teammates, that is not who I am, but at the same time I have to get in shape. We have a game in 10 days, so I have to play my game.”‘