Two Bills Drive

‘Smith continues to have swelling in his right knee after being hit with a helmet in Buffalo’s win over Cincinnati last week. Brown has been nagged by a sore right ankle. Neither starters took part in any contact drills at training camp this week. Thursday, coach Wade Phillips said he’ll wait until game-time to determine their status, adding both would play if this had been the regular season.’

‘But this, Kelly will be less involved with football than the days he was too young for Pop Warner. Rather than the rigorous schedule he worked for ESPN the last three years, Kelly will now only do NFL features for the all-sports network. "My priorities have changed…I look at it from a different perspective," said Kelly, who has three children including 3 1/2-year old Hunter who has Krabbe’s disease and has already outlived his life expectancy. "He’s not going to get any better but as long as he stays where it is … that’s a blessing." And that’s why his new job appeals. "I’m really cutting back on what I did last year, I’m not going to be gone nearly as much as I was," he said. "With the features I’ll be away one day, unlike last year when from Wednesday through Friday I was calling players and gone Saturday and Sunday. This gives me more time with my family, which is what I want." He’s even postponed a planned move to Richmond for a couple of years and is currently looking to buy land for a hunting camp. "That should make everybody happy," he said with a laugh. But Kelly quickly pointed out his wife’s family, his brothers and friends still live here. "I’d like to build a nice log cabin to come to a couple of weeks in the summer," Kelly explained, "and be able to come back for snowmobiling and the things I like to do in Western New York."’

‘Jackson, who received his psychology degree from Nebraska, has been the target of more than one raised eyebrow since he joined the Bills last year as a seventh-round draft pick. "My high school teammates used to say, "Sheldon was one of those branches that fell off the tree a long time ago. He’s just doing something his own way,’ " Jackson said. "I’m a team player, but when the pads come off I enjoy my own little world. It’s definitely different. To me, I’m OK. Everybody else is insane. Everybody else is a little weird. I love the way I see things through my eyes." The 6-foot-3, 237-pounder has a few idiosyncrasies, especially for a professional football player. He claims he doesn’t know how to draw, but wants to be a tattoo artist. He has five tattoos himself, including depictions on his back of his mother, brother and sister. While some Bills drive new Hummers, BMWs, Jaguars and other prestigious cars, Jackson’s fleet consists of an 1982 Chevy Monte Carlo, a ’95 Chevy Z-71 pickup truck and a ’77 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. But one eccentricity stands out more than the others. In fact, 20 things stand out. Jackson polishes his finger and toe nails.’

‘"I’m nowhere near ready, but I’m getting more comfortable. Right now all I can do is ride the bike and use the Stairmaster. Flutie was supposed to have a second MRI on the groin this week, but it got moved to Monday. "I wanted to have the MRI this week but it just doesn’t make a difference," he said. "There’s no need to rush it. (The MRI) should just update the healing." The timetable for Flutie remains about the same, with his return likely to be for either the third or fourth regular-season game. The Bills have a bye in Week Four so they may give him that extra week to recuperate, but Flutie said he sees Week Five as his latest possible return date.’

‘He has grown up through the years. He has mellowed. He no longer watches the tape of his draft-day plummet for inspiration. But he does have a little chip on his shoulder. He wants to beat the Bills. He wants to make them pay not just for letting him go after 12 years, but for how they did it. "To not make a phone call to me or to tell me before the season ended, that hurt," he said. "That’s a motivational tool. I wouldn’t say that’s my whole deal that I’m using to continue to play, but it’s a little part of it. I’m a little ticked off. But what really motivates me, what makes me feel good, is that the Dolphins were the first ones to call. I want to go out and make plays for this football team."’

‘It’ll be two weeks today since the Bills veteran backup slipped on the St. John Fisher College natural grass and suffered the injury. He was initially expected to be out until at least the middle of next month. There’s still no clear indication when he will be back. Flutie said there’s an outside shot of him being ready for the Bills regular-season opener on Sept. 3. "I still got three weeks. That’s still a possibility," he said. At the latest, Flutie said he’ll be back by Oct. 1, the Bills’ fourth game of the season, which follows their scheduled bye week. He said there’s no point returning for Game 3 only to take an additional week off.’

‘There has been much excitement in this camp about the prospects of No. 1 tight end Jay Riemersma becoming a major cog in the Bills offense this season. And there has been much talk about the expanded role Sheldon Jackson — like Collins a second-year tight end — is receiving as he tries his hand at fullback and H-back. But no one seems to be paying much attention to Collins, who technically is No. 2 on the depth chart and figures to see ample playing time this season in two-tight end alignments. "I think people just want to wait to see," Collins said. What "people" are waiting to see is the 6-foot-4, 249-pounder display the explosiveness and big-play ability the Bills’ deep thinkers think he possesses.’

‘An upbeat Kelly paid a visit to camp yesterday, observing practice, chatting with players, and signing tons of autographs for a legion of appreciative fans. Last night, he escorted a group of fans to dinner with defensive stars Ted Washington and Phil Hansen, winners of a charity raffle for his Hunter’s Hope Foundation. While attending practice, Kelly was struck by the passage of time. The release of Andre Reed, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith means there are no Bills left from their first Super Bowl team of 1990. "It’s time to move on, pass the torch, for the Bills to start a new tradition," Kelly said. "It’s time for them to get a new identity and you can see with all the new players what they’re trying to accomplish."’

‘During red-zone work in practice, quarterback Rob Johnson continues to find tight end Jay Riemersma open for completions in the back of the end zone. It’s always a mismatch, the 6-foot-5 Riemersma usually matched up against a shorter linebacker. On one particulary play, John Holecek was all over Riemersma, only to have the former Michigan all-state high school basketball player snatch the ball above his outstretched arms. "Jay’s big in the red area because he’s so tall," coach Wade Phillips said. "He can recognize the coverages, and he can anticipate and make plays. We’re going to try to utilize him more. I think Rob feels good with Jay, I think it’s a good combination. He looks for Jay in the middle of the field."’

‘To many Bills players, Brother Wease is a pop cult figure. To them, the Rochester radio icon with the raspy voice and more body ink than Rodman is a breath of fresh air, especially during these dog days of training camp when questions about cover-2 zones have become as stale as an open can of day-old pop. Sure, the location of WCMF’s makeshift studio just across the walkway from the team’s locker room at St. John Fisher College has something to do with their willingness to share air time with Wease. But it’s more than location. If they didn’t care for him, they’d be sure to avoid him like a training camp Turk. "He’s a guy you can go on the air with and have a casual conversation about everything, not just football," says Bills guard Ruben Brown. "Sometimes, Wease will ask you outrageous stuff, but it’s all in fun. He lets you be yourself, be a person. Through the years, he’s developed a good reputation among the players. We are reluctant to trust people in the media because you get burned so often. He’s someone you can trust."’

‘Jackson has gained attention at Bills training camp, and not simply because he’s getting more responsibility in the offensive scheme, taking over for departed fullback Sam Gash. This summer, the second-year player has been featured in a sports drink commercial in which he’s painting his fingernails just before game-time. Jackson has been conducting this ritual since his days at Nebraska, saying it’s part of his expressive nature. The Bills’ don’t seem to mind.’

‘"The Buffalo Bills base their opinions on production. That was not a hard decision," Dwight Adams, the team’s vice president of player personnel, said of selecting Moore with the 89th overall pick. "That was not one for debate. There’s Corey Moore, there’s a productive player in a major program, with consistent production." It might prove to be one of the wisest selections in this year’s draft. With a middle-round pick, the Bills secured the services of the 1999 defensive player of the year in college football (17 sacks, 35 career). No matter that he’s undersized for a linebacker (5-11, 230 pounds — up from his college weight of 225), let alone a defensive end; Moore makes plays.’

‘Starting with last Friday’s preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals, fans are now allowed to bring nonalcoholic beverages in containers up to one-quart size. With a couple of caveats, this was a worthwhile change that will allow the Bills organization to crack down on alcohol while removing the penalty it had called against the many fans who wanted nothing more than a warm drink on a chilly day. But those caveats are important. The Bills say they reserve the right to check containers for alcohol. That’s good, but they have to follow through. Security personnel should be prepared to check as many containers as they can, or at least to spot-check them. Alcohol is the primary fuel of anti-social behavior in the stands, and the Bills need to do everything they can to control it.’

‘"I’m going into this season with a little different set of circumstances," Price said Tuesday while walking off the Bills’ training camp fields at St. John Fisher College. "I’m a starter and a lot more is expected of me, and I expect a lot more of myself."’

‘Daryl Porter might roll out of bed this morning and find himself playing catcher. The Buffalo Bills defensive back has been all over the field at the team’s training camp at St. John Fisher College. On Tuesday he played free safety, strong safety, cornerback and was on every special teams unit. "It’s a positive for me and makes me a valuable player on this team," Porter said. "It’s just a matter of not making too many mental mistakes because at one position you use one technique and at another you use another technique. "You just gotta be on your toes."’