Two Bills Drive

‘"This is a person who is driven to succeed at all levels," said Angelo Gasca, his high school coach. "He’s consumed with this desire to be great in football. He’s thick-skinned, he’s determined and he’s overcome a lot of things in his life already."’

‘Peters also is far from a finished product. Some pro scouts thought he should have stayed at Arkansas, where he would have been a fifth-year senior. But his potential intrigues the Bills, who are giving him a close look in this minicamp.’

‘The players also spent several minutes after the practice signing autographs. Cornerback Troy Vincent, who was one of the last to leave the field, said open minicamp practices were rare in his previous stops in Philadelphia and Miami. "It shows you the enthusiasm that you have here in Buffalo and what this team means to the community," Vincent said. "It has to be important to us as players because they make up the game, and without them we don’t have a sport. This is what it’s all about when you can take your helmet off and meet the people."’

‘”The thing that I respect most about him is how the other guys respond to him when he talks. Everyone respects him.”‘

‘Bills number one pick Lee Evans had another decent day on Saturday as the club held mini camp in front of its fans.’

‘"It was great that the fans could come out and support us," said Henry. "T

They just let us know how ready they are for the upcoming season." Henry s

said he can’t imagine fan support like the Bills receive anywhere else. "I’ve never been around fans that love football as much as these fans do," he said.’

”’I’ve never been gifted with a whole lot of ability, so everything I’ve gotten I’ve done through hard work,” said the native of Clyde, Ohio. ”That’s kind of how I’ve been so successful in the past by doing it the hard way.”’

‘”He’s a guy that obviously has great explosiveness,” said quarterback Drew Bledsoe. “He really catches the ball with his hands, which is something that I always look for. You watch Eric Moulds catch the ball and he goes strong with his hands to catch the ball. From what I see from Lee Evans he has that same type of ability. He’s a very sure-handed guy to go with his explosiveness.”‘

‘”I’ve been watching this guy for so long, and now I see him in person it’s kind of like a little shock, too,” Losman said. “All quarterbacks in the NFL you look up to growing up, and he was definitely one of them. I was learning from him as much as I can. He’s just basically showing me how it’s done, and he does it right every time. The thing that I respect about him the most is how much the other guys respond to him when he talks. Everyone respects him, and so you have to learn how to get that respect.”‘

‘”He called me as soon as it happened and said, ‘We’re going to have so much fun here. We’re going to take care of business, but J.P., I’ll tell you what, ask me any questions, anything,'” said Losman, recalling a conversation that left him stunned. “It was very comforting,” Losman said. “I was coming in here with blinders, but when he called and let me know things are going to be fine, it really made me feel good.”‘

‘The team will hold a practice opened to the public on Saturday beginning at 2:30 from Ralph Wilson Stadium and admission is free.’

‘Paychex founder and Buffalo Sabres owner Tom Golisano raised his tennis racquet for charity. His opponent was Mary Wilson, wife of Buffalo Bills owner Ralph Wilson.’

‘This camp is optional for the veterans, but every single player on the roster was there. Mike Mularkey says that’s the commitment every player has shown.’

‘I was just honored to get picked. I really didn’t look at it as being the only defensive player selected. Obviously, they had a pretty good defense here last year so they didn’t really need a whole lot of help. I’m just hoping I can come in and be a part of it.’

‘It’s an overwhelming experience. I had cotton mouth the whole practice. I don’t know if it was because I was nervous or because I was so excited to be a part of a team again. It’s a great feeling I’ve been waiting for it for a long time. I’m just learning the ropes.’