Olean Times Herald

‘When asked about the atmosphere, McDermott allowed, “I love playing here … these fans, what more could you ask for? The fans love it, we love it … to me, this is the place to play. I came here a couple of times as an opponent and I remember how hard it was. It’s like heaven for a home team, in my mind. It’s fun to coach here, it’s fun to play here. It’s a great environment … this is what football is supposed to be about right here.”’

‘“I’ve had limited opportunities to go against him and that’s a little bit unique being around the league as long as I have and as long as Ryan has,” McDermott said. “But (he’s) a good quarterback. We all saw what happened when Jameis went out … how he brought that team back. He’s a very capable player … his career speaks for itself, what he’s done over the years and how long he’s played.”’

‘“It really does (feel like coming home) … I don’t want to say it’s a weird feeling, but it doesn’t feel like that anywhere else I played,” he said. “Part of it is that I was in Buffalo for four years … longer than anywhere else. (It’s) a special team (for players), the guys appreciate it, the fan base is always going to get behind their team.’

‘“It’s just something that’s been crazy over my career. I’ve had a lot of opportunities whether through injury or weird circumstances. Hopefully it’s not true, but it sure seems to happen a lot.”’