Bills Players-Fan Encounters Thread

[CommonCents]

I ran into Vontae Davis, I couldn’t get a good read on his personality as he left halfway through the conversation. 

[loveorhatembillsfan4life]

I was playing golf at the Copper Head golf course at Innisbrook  (Tampa) with my Dad. It’s a great resort for families and after the round we hit up one of the bar lounges on site. I just happened to notice Andre Reeed sitting at a table with a couple guys.

This never happens to me so we went over and introduced ourselves as being bills fans and congratulating him on his recent induction into the Hall of Fame. He was really cool about it. 

 

I kind of regret not getting a pic but it was a cool experience none the less.

 

 

[Mark Vader]

Most of the Bills players that I have met over the years were very cool and unassuming. I never had real conversations with them, these were mostly meeting up with them and getting autographs.

 

Terrence McGee was such a down-to-Earth person. Very nice and just seemed like an ordinary guy. Seeing him in person you would not believe that he was an NFL player, that guy was short.

 

Takeo Spikes & London Fletcher were fantastic. Great attitudes, they were like regular guys.

 

Drew Bledsoe was a very nice guy too. He is one big guy.

 

Fred Jackson, Josh Reed & Lee Evans all super cool.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

At the Bills/Panthers scrimmage in 2019 I remember Reid Ferguson signing patiently long after all other players had left the rope lines—seemed like a really chill dude. But the highlight was Beane—he stayed just as long until everyone who wanted one got his autograph, and posed for selfies. When it was my turn I told him it was super cool to have the Bills that far South so fans like me who live half a country away can interact with the team, and he was very gracious and talked about how glad he was it’d worked out, etc. 

[machine gun kelly]

When I was in HS I used to deliver pizza for Blasdell Pizzeria, so I would constantly deliver to the McKinley Park Inn during the SB years.  Biggest man I ever met was House Ballard.  I remember bringing him a sheet pizza, and asked him if anyone else was there, and he said “no, it’s just for me”.  Yes sir.  I met a lot of those guys back then and after.

 

I have a pick from a few years ago of my son who found Stevie Johnson at Hammers lot and still have a pic of the two.  The one that was significant to me of all people was Pete Metzelaars when I was little at the Blasdell convenient store. He was the tallest man I ever saw at that point in life as a grade schooler.  
 

When you grow up in the Hamburg/Blasdell area, you can’t help but bump into these guys.

[muppy]

the chance of running into players clearly is easier in WNY vicinity unfortunately I've not been a local since 1978. But Andre Reed is a known san diego local and has been known to hang at the billsbacker bar in pacific beach on occasion. The word I got was he was flocked with beautiful socal hotties and Loving the attention LOL 

[That's No Moon]

7 hours ago, Brennan Huff said:

Paul McGuire is a former Bill

I know that, but that's not the context in which I saw him so I didn't count it that way. I also met Ed Rutkowski but not as a Bill.

[NoHuddleKelly12]

It would be remiss of us here at TBD to leave off Levi Wallace, who gave out his real # during the onset of Covid and spoke/texted words of encouragement with a lot of us on here, myself included. Genuinely good dude right there. 

[Tenhigh]

Anybody bump into Gabe Northern at Hammers?  I did once and he was wasted. Like Bills Fan wasted.

[Brennan Huff]

41 minutes ago, Tenhigh said:

Anybody bump into Gabe Northern at Hammers?  I did once and he was wasted. Like Bills Fan wasted.

Hes one of my all time favorites and that makes me happy

Edited July 22, 2021 by Brennan Huff

[BillsFan619]

12 hours ago, Muppy said:

I just had a really cool interaction with an ex Bill from the glory teams Clifford Hicks. Dude used to wear a Dr Seuss hat on the sidelines which was always memorable for me. 

 

I asked he if he still had the hat and he said "yes its in storage" And since I had mentioned I was from Batavia it ends up he works currently with a guy I went to high school with.

 

Small world:-)

 

It made me think there have got to be a lot of you whom have met or interacted with Bills players. I know I'd love to read about them.

 

Made my day!

Love the stories. Great topic, OP!

 

My friend gave me two suite tickets for the Toronto series game against the Falcons. Me and my cousin go to the game. I’m the only fan (if I recall correctly) that had a JK jersey on in the suite.

 

Mind you the odds since there was the capability to have 40,000 to 50,000 fans in the stadium. In walks JK into the suite and he sits right next to me for a little bit. We took a couple pics and he signed my jersey.

 

The Toronto series was an awful idea (we were only 1-5 for the series and lost that game in OT, 34-31). That said, I’m thankful for the Kelly memory. I still have the jersey.

 

Go Bills!

Edited July 22, 2021 by BillsFan619

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

1987 training camp. I was 9 years old. Me and some other kid were waiting for Scott Norwood to give us his autograph. He said he only had time for one more and signed the other kid’s paper. It was only the two of us standing there!! He couldn’t take 10

more Seconds to sign for me too!?   

[BruceVilanch]

Met Jairus Byrd in Eugene Oregon while he still played for U of O before he was a Bill, we had drinks at a party we were both at, seemed like a cool dude.

[Metal Man]

Used to play Halo on Xbox with a handful of Bills.

 

Xbox had a promotion where you could game with McGahee one night so I added his gamertag to my friends list. I couldn't get in that night but he continued to use it because I saw him online a month or so later and joined his game. Once there I saw a Law36 and Jburns gamertag in the game as well. I assume there were some other Bills or NFL players in the game too as most of the people playing seemed to know each other and were constantly talking smack back and forth but they didn't have obvious gamertags. Milloy must have added me to his friends list after that night because I would get invites to his Halo games all the time after that and played with that crew a bunch of other nights.

 

Milloy was decent but most of the other guys weren't great. Definitely the only time in my life I could say I was able to compete with NFL players and win most of the time. 😁

[Tenhigh]

7 hours ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

1987 training camp. I was 9 years old. Me and some other kid were waiting for Scott Norwood to give us his autograph. He said he only had time for one more and signed the other kid’s paper. It was only the two of us standing there!! He couldn’t take 10

more Seconds to sign for me too!?   

 

Is that when you gave him the Gypsy curse? 

 

"One day, your whole life will be ruined because of ONE missed field goal!  And it won't even be a chip shot!"

[Juice_32]

19 hours ago, Iiiiiiiiive Got a Feeeelin said:

My cousin got to meet Stephon Gilmore and he told her "the pleasure is all yours" to which she replied "Wait who are you again?"

I “met” Gilmore at a Charlotte Hornets game. I said “go bills, have a great year man” and he stared at me with a very confused look on his face and turned around.

[muppy]

6 hours ago, BruceVilanch said:

Met Jairus Byrd in Eugene Oregon while he still played for U of O before he was a Bill, we had drinks at a party we were both at, seemed like a cool dude.

his father  ex Chargers cornerback Gil Byrd I met at a movie theater in the popcorn line for I THINK it was The Lion King, my impression was dang this man is SOLID I mean built like a brick outhouse. Devout Christian man. Spoke to me kindly

[Canadian Bills Fan]

I crashed Jim Kelly's tailgate party outside the Bills stadium one year. Not really crashing it as you could just easily walk up. He was drunk I think because when I asked him to sign my hat, he said no you are wearing a #13 jersey (SJ at the time) he then said he was only kidding and gave me his drink to hold which smelled very strong lol My dad then asked him if he could sign his hat and he said no you're not wearing a Kelly jersey. My dad said ok and turned to walk away and Jim yelled "I'm just kidding old man get over here!" it was funny.

 

He posed for a picture with my father and I and then asked who we were with and I said no one and he politely said that we would need to leave and we cant be there. Thurman was there too and he signed my hat as well and he was very nice. Just standing by himself drinking a beer.

 

The next year, I brought the framed picture to a game hoping to get it signed but wouldn't you know, his tailgate party was moved to a more secure location that wasnt accessible from the stadium parking lot.

 

Biggest prick: Bledsoe. My brother who was 10 at the time waited for him after training camp and caught him as he was walking to his car and asked him for his autograph and he stared down my brother and just kept walking.

 

Brian Moorman was awesome too, I was at the tunnel before a game getting players to sign my helmet and when I asked him he said he had to go warm up and he would get me after the game. He got to the 50 yard line on the far side and I see him turn around and run back to me and said "I just realized these probably arent your seats and you wont be here after the game" and he signed my helmet. 

 

2 years ago I went to the tunnel and asked Coach McDermott if I could get a pic with him as he walked back towards the dressing room before a game. He smiled and said "I would love to but I have to go work" Made me love him even more.

 

Same game at the tunnel I saw Beane walking by the goalposts and I yelled ":Hey Brandon" he turned and looked at me and I yelled "you're my hero!" he chuckled, smiled, and waved and kept walking.

[muppy]

These posts are  giving muppy much joy and smiles  Thanks for sharing these stories. It almost feels like a tailgate hanging around shooting the chit :-)))) . #billsmafia

[shrader]

I used to caddy at Crag Burn back in high school.  It was first come, first serve, whichever caddy showed up first was assigned to the first player who asked for one.  One day, this other kid and I showed up at the same time.  I let him sign up first.  It wasn't a very busy day.  After waiting a bit the other kid finally got someone... Steve Tasker and BIll Polian.  I didn't get anyone that day.