Two Bills Drive

‘There were hundreds of kids with proud smiles at training camp yesterday afternoon. Among the crowd of 8,100 were girls and boys, with moms and dads and teachers and pastors and community leaders and . . . well, slices of whole communities . . . who showed up wearing T-shirts with "Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth. Working Together to Build Assets" on the front. The camp visit was a special treat for the many who’ve been helping build a grassroots program of positive experiences, opportunities and personal qualities for youth in every corner of Monroe County.’

"I was hoping to get a little work in yesterday and just ended up throwing," Johnson said. "Once I got the IV in me, I felt a lot better and got a couple good nights sleep. I told them I’d do as much as I could today and if I felt weak or sick, I’d stop. I felt weak, but from a couple days ago, wanting to die, I thought I did all right." Johnson lost some weight — he didn’t know how much — and that contributed him to feeling weak yesterday morning. "I’m just glad it happened early in camp and not later in the year," he said. "It will take a while to get it back, but I’ll be all right. Give me a week or two."’

‘"Last year when they named me the starter, it was more the outside of Buffalo that was more shocked. The team was very supportive. Most of them came up to me and gave me words of encouragement. I think they sort of wanted a change last year. I don’t know, just my opinion,” Johnson said Friday.’

‘Now the Buffalo ups and downs, and you wonder, has the guy used up his nine lives? Is there more? He’s been ignored before, discarded, lost and forgotten in the Canadian wilderness for nine years. But he’s still here. It’s another football season, and you never know what part Doug Flutie’s gonna play in it.’

‘"Preseason and camp is shot," Flutie said. "They just said to be patient because they know if they tell me a certain number of weeks (to return) that I’m going to push that and want to be on the field. "They set a general time frame of being sometime early in the season. I just have to rest it for a couple of weeks and let it settle down, and then we’ll start rehabbing it and strengthening it."’

‘Mohr, the Bills’ emergency quarterback if all of them go down in a game, didn’t mind at all. "I love throwing the football," Mohr said. "I played quarterback my whole life growing up." Mohr, who has classic QB size at 6-foot-5, 215 pounds, was a star signal caller at Briarwood Academy in Thomson, Ga., where he rushed for 1,000 yards and passed for 700 as a senior. He once threw a touchdown pass for Alabama and also completed his only NFL attempt for 27 yards on a fake punt against the Green Bay Packers in 1997.’

‘Flutie suffered a "severe" groin injury during the morning workout and will be sidelined the rest of training camp, all of the preseason, and possibly for a few games in the regular season. "That’s the great thing, that we have another quarterback, but it’s not a good thing for me right now," Phillips said when he learned the extent of Flutie’s injury. "The guy’s in tremendous shape; it was just one of those freak things that happen. It is a setback for us."’

‘Haddad’s teammates like what little they see of the 5-foot-11, 184-pound natural receiver, a Cleveland native and rabid Browns fan who could make a catch in the middle of a demolition derby — and often had to for winless UB last fall. "He’s a good receiver," Bills cornerback Ken Irvin said. "He runs nice quick routes. I don’t know whether he’ll make the team or not. That will be up to the coaches. But he certainly has as good a shot as anyone."’

‘Buffalo Bills rookie defensive end Erik Flowers’ eyes lit when asked to comment on tomorrow’s scrimmage at St. John Fisher College. "Yeah I’m looking forward to Saturday," the first-round pick from Arizona State said. "We finally get to tackle a running back."’

‘Though only 27, Eric Moulds is the old sage of the receiving corps now that 15-year veteran Andre Reed is no longer with the team. Of the nine other receivers in camp, five are rookies. His young teammates are lauding Moulds for the way he’s taken the time to help them improve. "Those guys don’t have any NFL experience, besides Peerless Price," Moulds said. "We have a lot of young guys so I’m trying to pass things along to help them." One way he is doing that is leading by example. Moulds actually enjoys seeing double coverage in practice because he feels it will help make him a better player during the season.’

‘With enough tents to rival the Monroe County Fair, enough advertising signage to make NASCAR blush, with interactive games and clown entertainment, this isn’t you’re father’s training camp. The scary thing is that the marketing festival underway at St. John Fisher College is actually a "tasteful" version of what it could’ve been, a team official said. Numerous businesses wanting a piece of the action but at the last minute were turned away. In other words, the fan who actually cares about football can be thankful that he doesn’t also have to walk through a carnival midway and The Bearded Lady to get a glimpse of Erik Flowers.’

‘Buffalo Bills quarterback Doug Flutie will be out until at least September after suffering a severe groin injury when he slipped in practice Thursday. "He’s going to be out quite a while, probably into the regular season,” coach Wade Phillips said after learning the result of an MRI. "We don’t know the timetable yet, but it’s a severe injury."’

‘”Doug Flutie strained a groin muscle this morning and he will (miss) this afternoon for sure,” Bills coach Wade Phillips said, adding that the MRI will be done to determine the extent of the injury. “His foot slipped a little bit. It didn’t grab. Just typical of what happens when you strain a groin.” Taking the snap, Flutie appeared to be ready to run the ball up the middle, but the turf gave out from under his right leg. Flutie went down face-first and grimaced in pain while holding his leg. He got up on his own after less than a minute, and did not appear to limp as he walked off the field to the trainers’ room.’

‘Collectively, the team reported in fabulous shape. The most obvious example is Ruben Brown, the four-time Pro Bowl guard, who showed up at 285 pounds … about 40 less than the weight at which he played last year. “My wife (Kenia) wanted to lose weight after having the baby and we went on a diet and started going to the gym”, Brown said. “The weight came off me really easily … almost without trying. My wife prefers me like this and, personally, it’s nice not to be a fat slob.” But while quarterbacks Doug Flutie, approaching his 38th birthday, and starter Rob Johnson, are both in extraordinary condition, there is one exception. Fourth-year offensive lineman Jamie Nails is enormous, looking every ounce of his listed weight of 360 pounds … and then some.’

‘The 25-year-old Greer is one of the lesser-known names on the Bills’ team but he might prove to be the most important backup player on the entire roster, No. 2 quarterback Doug Flutie included. Flutie isn’t going to get on the field much unless Rob Johnson gets hurt. Greer, however, plays more than one third of the defensive snaps, and they’re the most important plays in the game; the third downs, when the opposing offense either keeps its drive alive or is forced to get off the field. Greer enters in all obvious passing situations, whenever the Bills go to five or six defensive backs. "His worth has just skyrocketed," defensive backs coach Bill Bradley said. "The third corner is just about as important as a starting corner."’