Archives for August 2009

‘They learned about various career options in biology, communications and sports management. St. John Fisher officials discussed college scholarships and the importance of improving literacy to perform well in higher education classes. Every student received a bookmark with nine Bills players recommending options for a good read.’

‘The special teams were dreadful on Saturday, at least early on when those who are likely to play were in the game. The Bears came clean on the Bills first punt and should have blocked it. Later, the same unit had a high snap that could have been deadly in a regular-season game. Add in Dominic Rhodes’ muffed punt – which gave the Bears the ball in Buffalo territory – and you’ve got plenty to work on this week in practice. And with the Bills proving in the past their margin of error is already slim, a few special teams goofs could prove too much for Buffalo to overcome.’

‘The best a Bills fan can hope for this season is to break even at 8-8 and miss the playoffs once again. What the Bills need is a competent general manager that knows how to construct a winning team and hire a real coach. Kinda like that Polian feller we had years ago.’

‘The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society and Brian Moorman’s P.U.N.T. Foundation will co-present a family-friendly ice cream social, titled Brian Moorman’s Football Sundae, from 1 to 4 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Historical Society’s museum, 25 Nottingham Court at Elmwood Avenue.’

‘”My parents were great, they were very supportive of me. My dad (Bill Jackson) told me to keep going after my dream and I had coaches who told me I could keep playing, in high school and in junior college.”‘

‘”It takes the whole physical aspect of the game out of it,” said Paul Posluszny of having to take off the pads. “It’s just something where you’ve got to go in there and concentrate mentally because everything’s much slower.”‘

‘Neither the team nor Maybin’s camp will offer specifics on how far apart they are, but the Bills are becoming concerned that the defensive end, selected 11th overall out of Penn State, will not report soon enough to be ready for the regular season in less than four weeks.’

‘”I don’t think we’re going to miss a beat at running back from what you have seen,” Lynch added. “All of our running backs are toting the rock pretty well. We just keep that up and we will be solid.”‘

‘”It’s always exciting when you get into camp and you get that opportunity (to start),” Ellison said at a recent practice at training camp at St. John Fisher College. “We have a lot of guys competing and trying to move up. I just have to keep doing what I am doing, which is working hard and improving.”‘

‘”A lot of it will be runs, set up cones down the field and making moves on them, individual work, running, lifting, continuing to do the same things just probably not too many team periods,” said Lynch.’

‘"He just told me, "This year is your year,’" Ellis recalled. "It encouraged me to go out there and let it fly this year."’

‘"Last week I wanted to [practice] but they held me back," Byrd said. "Now, it’s just getting on the field and getting the muscles stronger. … I always try to get my abs good, because I need to build that back up. That’s pretty much the No. 1 thing I couldn’t do, is abs. And my legs still could be a lot stronger, so I still need to work on that in the weight room."’

‘"I really did, I wanted to play, but the guys upstairs wanted to hold me back," Jairus said Monday morning following the Bills’ walk-through practice at sweltering St. John Fisher College.’

‘"He said it felt OK, he said he could still feel it, but he felt OK. We don’t have any (timetable), we’ll just have to see how he feels."’

‘”Terrell did individual and that was about it and then he stayed out for a while,” said head coach Dick Jauron. “Then we took him back in and treated the thing. He said it felt okay. He could still feel it, but he said it felt okay.”‘