Archives for October 19, 2011

‘Kelsay stated on Wednesday that he expects to be full go in practice Monday and play against Washington in Week 8. Merriman also intends to be ready for the Washington game following an Achilles flare up in practice last week.’

‘The Bills’ best asset is their chemistry and resiliency. Rallying from a couple of huge deficits and beating some very talented teams is a good sign that the playoff drought could be ending soon. However, the Bills still are not as talented across the board as the elite teams in this league and that will catch up to them eventually. There is still lots of room for big improvement from this roster. Merriman, Dareus, Spiller, McKelvin, and Williams are just some of the players the Bills need bigger production from in order to be a real threat in the AFC.’

‘"He has a lot of friends, made a lot of friends, and has made a good impression with his personality and demeanor over all these years," Harris said. "I know he was very well thought of, and I certainly did."’

‘"We called him big ‘un, and he was always there to take care of you when and if you needed it," said John Bond, Hull’s MSU teammate from 1980-82. "He was my brother and somebody I could always count on for the 30 years I’ve known him."’

‘In the team’s 52-year existence, only once – Dec. 30, 1996 – has the media ever feted a retiring player with a luncheon.’

‘“But let me tell you, at the end of that training camp, I loved football. I found a family and it wasn’t the team – it was the city. It was so much like where I’m from in Mississippi, other than the snow. People go out of their way to help you. They’re friendly, you feel that you can trust them, and I think that sense of security I felt from the city made me enjoy football for the first time.”’

‘”It’s a problem we’ve got,” said Gailey of the Bills pass rush. “We do have a problem. There’s no bones about it. We tried to come after (Manning) with five on a lot of third downs especially in the first half and we still didn’t get there. So we’re going to have to figure something out to generate some kind of pass rush.”‘

‘Mississippi State University officials say former Buffalo Bills center Kent Hull has died. He was 51. Hull played at Mississippi State from 1979 until 1982. He spent three years with the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League. After that league’s demise, Hull joined the Buffalo Bills and played from 1986 to 1997.’

‘He had been battling liver problems for several years, though according to former teammate Andre Reed, Hull had been feeling better the past several months.’

‘”He had some health issues, but he didn’t want anyone to pamper him or worry about him,” said former MSU defensive lineman Mike McEnany, Hull’s roommate in college. “He didn’t want the attention.”‘

‘Mississippi State University, where Hull played his college ball, announced he passed away on Tuesday afternoon. The cause of death was not immediately known.’

‘The Mississippi native began his pro career as quarterback Jim Kelly did — in the USFL with the New Jersey Generals — whereas Kelly started with the Houston Gamblers. Both men arrived in Buffalo in 1986 and retired following the 1996 season.’

‘Hull, son of Charlie Hull who played basketball at Mississippi State, received his degree in business administration from the university in 1984. He is survived by his wife, Kay, and two children, Drew and Ellen. Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.’

‘”I was truly shocked to lose a former teammate at such a young age,” said Steve Christie. “He was the backbone of the Bill’s offense during the Super Bowl era. I was honored to be his teammate on and off the field. Personally, Kent played a major part of what I would consider to be my most memorable years in the NFL. My heart goes out to his family and my prayers are with them.”‘

‘Words fall short when the pain runs so deep. I’m finding it hard to describe what this loss means to me and my family.’