Nebraskan 4 Bills

Chris Kelsay....yep, straight from my hometown of Auburn, Nebraska. Quality guy, quality player with that Midwest work ethic and brains to match......WOuld love his hard-nosed attitude and cheer for him as a player even if he wasn't a friend.

Curiuos how Chris Denney, WR from University of Nebraska at OMaha is holding up. Realize he's not a household name and probably a longshot to make the team, but I watched him absolutely dominate some games at the Division II level against some of that division's top athletes....I see in a few posts that he's made some plays at times, and he seems to be fittin in...Just curious from all you knowledgeable fans at training camp if you've noticed his play at all.

i'm his biggest fan, but Kelsay needs to make some plays this week. After a fast start, he's been a bit too quiet the last couple of games.

I feel like I'm watching my Huskers....God, what is with me cheering for teams with good defenses and no offense....pathetic

Two big plays from Kelsay today, first the forced fumble and then the sack. I'm excited to see him this season. Really think it's going to be a breakout year for him

heard Kelsay was all over Favre and totally dominated the guy he was up against?

truly think this is going to be a big breakout year for him!

Wistrom hopes Kelsay will help out with foundation BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star Grant Wistrom may have a new recruit for his foundation that benefits children stricken with cancer. The former Husker All-America football player is working to get former NU standout Chris Kelsay involved with the Grant Wistrom Foundation. "I think Chris is exactly the kind of guy who can help us get done what we need to," Wistrom said Friday night at a banquet/auction at Memorial Stadium. Wistrom's third annual banquet and golf tournament (today at Quarry Oaks Golf Course) raises money for Camp CoHoLo in Nebraska and the Circle of Friends program, which takes pediatric cancer patients from across the U.S. on various trips. The event drew more than 30 former Huskers, former coach Tom Osborne and a crowd of more than 200. Wistrom, now with the Seattle Seahawks, has expanded his foundation every year and the addition of Kelsay, in his third year with the Buffalo Bills, would be another step. "I want to look into starting my own foundation in a few years, but I would like to work with Grant for now," said Kelsay, a former all-state player from Auburn and a former Academic All-Big 12 honoree. The two former Huskers have a lot in common, Wistrom said. "You watch Chris play ball and you know there's the blue-collar, hard-working, hard-hitting guy that makes for a great player," Wistrom said. "As a person, I've known Chris since he was much younger and I played with his brother, Chad, at Nebraska. That's a great family." Chris Kelsay, who has earned rave reviews from the Bills, has also become a fan favorite in the Buffalo area. He and his wife, Natalie, love the area and are looking forward to their first child being born in Buffalo this winter. Buffalo papers have often cited how much he has contributed to the team. "Buffalo is a lot like Lincoln," Kelsay said. "If you work hard, play hard and try to get better, people appreciate the effort. The Buffalo fans are serious about their football and they'll love you if you win and get really down if you lose."In his rookie year (2002), the Bills' second-round pick played sparingly and earned his way through his play on special teams. Last year, as the Bills improved to the No. 2 defense in the NFL, Kelsay earned his way into the starting lineup and started the last 11 games. "They put a lot on my shoulders, but they also told me it was my job to lose," he said. Off the field, Kelsay is involved in a number of charities and motivational efforts for the Bills. "I learned when I was here at Nebraska that it was time to give back when I had a chance," he said. "I'm lucky, because I enjoy speaking in public and I enjoy trying to balance my life. "I've been given an opportunity to play football and make a good living. If I can help somebody, some kids who didn't have the opportunity to reach their goals, for reason of health or whatever, I believe I should. My family raised me that way." Another former Husker defensive end, Jared Tomich, who played with the New Orleans Saints, said he expected Kelsay to be one of the better players to come out of Nebraska. "You see what Grant (Wistrom) can do in a game and you can see how good Chris is now and how he is going in the same direction," Tomich said.

07/03/05 - In a commentary, Larry Felser of the Buffalo News made this prediction: "One of the biggest improvements for the Bills this season may come with some of their young players having breakthrough years. My hunch for one of the major breakthroughs is Chris Kelsay, who finally won the starting job at left defensive end over the last nine games after sharing with Ryan Denney. Kelsay figured out what he was doing during the Bills' winning streak. He should be better this year."

07/03/05 - In a commentary, Larry Felser of the Buffalo News made this prediction: "One of the biggest improvements for the Bills this season may come with some of their young players having breakthrough years. My hunch for one of the major breakthroughs is Chris Kelsay, who finally won the starting job at left defensive end over the last nine games after sharing with Ryan Denney. Kelsay figured out what he was doing during the Bills' winning streak. He should be better this year."

God it's nice to be on a message board where people actually know football and offer some good insight instead of just blabbing. Can't wait to be a "regular" as we get closer to the season and join your conversations.

I really liked the way Kelsay progressed last season and think he's going to be a much bigger force this year. Curious to hear what you think? Is Denney still in the mix, or did Kelsay finally pass him by after starting most of last season ahead of him.

Damn, Kelsay looks a hell of a lot bigger heading into this season. Glad to see he's been busting his butt in the weightroom.

Beamer was the victim of an accident involving an exploding gas can when he was a teenager that left severe burns on the right side of his jaw line and neck. He had to have operations to try to repair the damage. He still recalls his mother encouraging him to reach out to those people who were less fortunate than him, even when he was in the hospital. "I remember when I was having burn operations and she wanted me to get up and go on down the hall (at the hospital) and see somebody who was worse off than me," Beamer said. "I never forgot that. I think it's really important to do this visit (Friday)."

I"m curious why Denney is getting all the snaps today at LDE. Not that he's played bad, in fact he's made some good plays, but was wondering why he replaced Kelsay in the lineup.

Parker's a rookie from a damn basketball school. I hate the Tarheels

Who in the hell is Willie Parker. I'm going to go throw up!

Thought I'd share this story with many of you who wouldn't see it otherwise. It ran in Nebraska's statewide paper, the OMaha World-Herald. The Kelsays are from my hometown, and I know all of Auburn is very proud and excited to see Chris continue to mature and develop as a force in the NFL. Kelsay proud of Bills BY MITCH SHERMAN WORLD-HERALD BUREAU LINCOLN - The Buffalo Bills have a lot riding on their regular-season finale Sunday against Pittsburgh. A victory could put Buffalo in the playoffs after starting 0-4 - something that's happened just once in NFL history - and complete the most dramatic turnaround ever for the franchise. It's heady stuff for a 25-year-old defensive end from Auburn, Neb., but Chris Kelsay isn't making too much of the situation. "The way I look at it," he said, "I need to go out there and have a blast, just like I have the last five, six weeks. I'm proud and humbled by our success, but I'm not going to do anything other than work hard and try to do my little part to win this game." Kelsay, a three-year starter and 2002 captain at Nebraska, has done his part all year for the Bills. The second-year pro, drafted in the second round in 2003, wrestled a starting position away from Ryan Denney this year and contributed in a big way to the Bills' resurgence. The Buffalo defense ranks third in the NFL and has allowed 14.8 points a game in a current six-game winning streak. Kelsay has started eight games this season, registering 30 total tackles, 41/2 sacks, two fumble recoveries and one interception. The Bills have won nine of 11 games after the 0-4 start to become contenders for an AFC wild-card spot. They need a win at home Saturday over the 14-1 Steelers and a loss from either the New York Jets or Denver. The Jets play at St. Louis, and Denver hosts Indianapolis. "The way we've been playing," Kelsay said, "we feel like we can line up and play with anybody. We feel like we can beat anybody." Kelsay played on special teams in every game last year as a rookie, but he wanted more. He said he needed that first year to adjust to the professional style of play. Even warnings from older brother Chad, another former NU star and two-year pro with the Steelers, could not prepare Chris for the NFL. "The transition is even more difficult than going from high school to college," Chris Kelsay said. "Every single player is the best of the best. But a huge part of it is confidence. And where my brother did help me was in telling me how to carry myself." Kelsay said he earned respect from veterans of the Buffalo defense like Sam Adams, Lawyer Milloy and London Fletcher by simply laying low as a rookie. "I just went about my business and did what was asked of me," he said. Then in the offseason, Kelsay went to work. He arrived in training camp last summer determined to win the starting spot. "There's nothing magical about what he's done," Chad Kelsay said. "I know that he went out and made it his focus that he was going to start this year. The coaches said it was there for the taking. And at that level, you've just got to go out and perform." Chris Kelsay said he likes the idea of facing Pittsburgh with everything on the line Sunday. The Steelers have won an NFL-best 13 straight games, already clinching home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. Pittsburgh may rest some of its top players Sunday. "Regardless of their situation, they want to win this game, too," Chris Kelsay said. "This is not a business where you take anybody lightly." And it's certainly not a business where you can make any assumptions. Back in the fall, the Kelsay brothers booked a postseason vacation to Cancun. At the time, Chad Kelsay said, the Bills didn't look destined for the playoffs. Still, they made the plans for February - well clear of the Super Bowl. "It's a good thing we're not going in January, or he may not be there," Chad Kelsay said. "You never know what's going to happen."

Kelsay has proved himself this year, and I think he has locked down that end position. Don't think we will waste a draft pick there.

Bronco Busters..... Ground beef, a can of baked beans, brown sugar, mustard Piled over bread and a slice of cheese

I think Kelsay is going to really start coming on. He looked real good last week, forcing the fumble and recovering on the goal line....as well as getting some good pressure. It's taking a few games, but I think he is about ready to arrive.

One DE played well. Kelsay made a great play to force the Dillon fumble, then recovered it himself at the goal line. He also had anumber of plays where he pressured Brady or forced him out of the pocket.

Since when was Kelsay a "straight ahead guy." The Bills' defensive coaches have said regularly that he has the most moves of any defensive lineman on the team

I've already go my Kelsay jersey.

Kelsay played well, and so did Schobel. Our defensive ends are fine. Our def. tackles, on the other hand, are fat and out of shape. Beyond their run stopping, they do little to put pressure on the QB and help the DEs.