Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - We're now just a day away from the debut of "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Buffalo Bills." The documentary series will give "Bills Mafia" a behind-the-scenes look at how the team is preparing for the upcoming NFL season.
"We have a full army that is here," show director and Rochester native Pat Harris told WBEN on Monday. "We have about 35 people on the ground here in Rochester... and then back at [NFL] Films, we have probably 75-to-100 different people that will have their hands on the show in some capacity."
The show is known for profiling some of the NFL's brightest personalities. Bills fans should expect the same this season.
One player fans shouldn't be surprised to see featured is offensive tackle Dion Dawkins.
"He's a 1-of-1. His personality is infectious. He's incredible with our crew. I think anybody that's around him it brings a smile to their face," Harris said about the fan-favorite Dawkins.
The rest of the Bills' offensive line, along with Josh Allen and Tre'Davious White, are others that Harris says have been a joy to work with.
When the announcement was made that the Bills would be this season's featured team, the natural reaction of many fans was that the show would serve as a distraction. Harris tells WBEN the crew makes an effort to not be a distraction.
"We're used to this. We've been around teams. We kind of know the business they need to do to get ready for the season," Harris said.
He adds after a few days, team employees from all parts of the organization say they stopped noticing the production crew.
At the end of the day, "Hard Knocks" falls into the realm of reality TV. There's an emphasis on drama in that genre, but drama isn't something Harris' crew is seeking out.
"I think for me, I want to keep building that relationship with the team," Harris said. "We don't want to be as 'headline-grabby'. We want to try and tell the story of camp and that is a part of it but I don't think we're seeking headlines and 'buzzworthy' stuff as much.
"I think it remains to be seen of what's going to unfold with it."
The first episode debuts Tuesday night at 9 p.m. on HBO, and will be available to stream on HBO Max. New episodes air every Tuesday through Sept. 2, five days before the Bills' home opener against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.