Two Bills Drive

(Nov. 7, 2002) — With nearly 18 million votes cast by fans on NFL.com, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre (317,986) leads all NFL All-Stars in balloting for the 2003 Pro Bowl, the NFL announced. Buffalo Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe (294,091), the NFL’s leading passer with 2,802 yards, ranks second.

‘It seems Patriots fans driving in from New England for the game got some bum driving directions from the Internet mapping site Mapquest. The directions sent the travelers to Countryside Lane, just north of the University at Buffalo North Campus.’

‘”See what you hit,” Gray said. “If you see what you hit, I don’t think there can be any question that you dropped your helmet. You can say, ‘I squared up, I hit him right in the numbers, my facemask was on his body.’ If a guy gets hurt that way and you fine me, then there’s something wrong with the ruling.”‘

‘”That’s the thing a lot of young guys don’t do a lot — go up, form fit the guy, then get out of the way, and then finish that tackle in your mind,” Gray said. “That’s what the great ones do. If you don’t finish in your mind during the week, it’s hard to finish on Sunday.”‘

On Thursday, the team reported to the NFL that it held a mass tryout for 82 mostly obscure players, a figure that grew to 88 at the final count, said Scott Berchtold, Bills vice president of communications.

‘"I remember that loss to Buffalo more than any of the wins," Madden said.’

‘I was actually recruited by more schools as a corner than as a receiver.’

‘Q. What’s your forecast for the end of the season? A. I see us getting in the playoffs and making a run for the Super Bowl.’

‘New England Patriots defensive end Willie McGinest has been fined $7,500 by the NFL for roughing up former teammate Drew Bledsoe.’

5:29 a.m.-My alarm goes off and I greet the morning with all of the anticipation that a day of this magnitude can bring. There are but only a handful of days in our lives when we can point to a specific day, previous to its occurrence, and say this day will have an affect on the rest of my life. But this is one of those rare days and I will do everything I can to remember as much of it as I can for as long as I can.

Read what Pat Williams has to say about his teammates.

"I think Buffalo is a great football town. I think it's more of a college atmosphere. When you think of football, Buffalo has to be one of the top cities because the fans love it. I love playing here just because of that college atmosphere. It reminds me a lot of Tennessee. It's just the weather that is the difference."

A two-time All-New England tackle at Boston College, Smerlas was disappointed to slip to the second round of the 1979 NFL draft. But after hearing from Bills coach Chuck Knox, he quickly became excited about heading to Buffalo irregardless of when he was selected.

‘He ranks 23rd in the league in punt return average and 26th in kickoff return average.’

‘Ahanotu then stretches out on the homemade bed he constructed in the middle of the limo, and he sleeps just about the entire two-hour ride to the stadium, waking only to pass through customs.’