Archives for June 15, 2004

‘Palafox was a star linebacker at Sweetwater in the late 1990s, twice earning all-district honors and being named the dis-trict’s defensive MVP in his se-nior year when the Mustangs reached the state quarterfinals.’

‘I was fortunate enough to be in Pittsburgh his whole time there. Mike’s a great guy. He’s a guy I get along with and as far as coming here to Buffalo, it’s always nice to go somewhere where you know someone. I know him and a few guys he brought with him as well as a few players I had a privilege to play with. It helps, anytime you’re out there looking for somewhere else to start over. It always helps to see a familiar face, someone you know. Someone that has gone through the same things you’ve gone through, and can relate and just ease the transition. From that standpoint, it definitely helps.’

‘After returning back to his home area of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where he has a two-year-old son, Daryl, for the past year, he has owned and operated Porter’s Place [www.portersplace.biz]. "It’s a sports bar and restaurant. We have a full menu, steaks, garlic shrimp. It’s pretty big, 8,000 square feet. We do a lot of entertainment, jazz bands, blues. Basically, it’s just something I had the knack for, being around people and making sure people are comfortable.’

‘"I think that people respected the decision that I made," Spielman said. "It was an easy decision to make, but it still felt like you were letting people down. I certainly made the right decision, don’t get me wrong. I felt like the people in Buffalo, for the two years, treated me great and I loved playing there and being a part of it, but I still felt like I let them down. I guess it justified my decision to not play football, because I got a standing ovation. It made me feel good, obviously. I guess that I was accepted as a Buffalo Bill."’

‘Gildon’s agent Peter Schaffer said his client’s visit is scheduled to last through today. The Bills are an attractive stop for Gildon, who was released by the Pittsburgh Steelers for salary-cap reasons two weeks ago, Schaffer said.’

‘Gildon was a 1994 draft selection by Buffalo president Tom Donahoe for the Steelers. Gildon played ten years in Pittsburgh and his 77 career sacks are a team record.’

‘Gildon is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who’s production has tailed off the last two years. After registering 13½ sacks in 2000 and 12 in 2001, he combined for just 15 in the past two seasons. That included just six last season, his fewest since 1997.’

‘Gildon is entering his 11th year in the league and had spent his entire career with the Steelers. He was released following the season.’

‘Buffalo also released linebacker Dilibe Acholonu, an undrafted free agent the team signed in April.’

‘The Bills today announced that the team has signed cornerback Gerald Dixon and rookie free agent safety Jonathon Palafox.’