Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - Friday was the "Return of the Blue and Red" practice at Highmark Stadium, and I’d estimate over 50,000 fans were in attendance. However, Buffalo Bills COO Pete Guelli tweeted out that 39,224 fans were in attendance, which is still a team record for this practice.
After four seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, Michael Hoecht elected to hit the free agent market and sign a three-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.
While Hoecht can practice with the team during training camp, he will miss the first six games of the 2025 season due to a PED suspension.
Born and raised in Oakville, Ontario, Hoecht has never played in Orchard Park. While he was with the Rams when they played the Bills in 2020, Hoecht was on the practice squad and didn’t play that game.
Hoecht had a big smile on his face following Friday's practice, because he’s never experienced this in an NFL practice.
"I’ve never had training camp like that before, and that felt like a game," said Hoecht. "My ears feel like we played a game, so I appreciate 'Bills Mafia' coming out, because it makes training camp more fun."
Bills head coach Sean McDermott likes having the players for this practice, because it gets them into the stadium for the first time and gets them around the locker room. That way, when the players come for the first preseason game on Aug. 9 against the New York Giants, nothing will be new to them.
"It gives everybody an opportunity to get into their own rhythm and routine for the game, and you wake up and know you’re putting on the game uniform," Hoecht said. "This is the first time I’ve had this on, so it feels good to run out there with it. But it’s a good dress rehearsal for us, so that on game day, it’s not my first time doing it here."
The Bills will get Saturday off after this practice, but Hoecht says the players don’t mind this practice.
"There’s off days, and everybody kind of looks forward to the off day, but I think this one is the one that everyone circles on the calendar, because how can you not like coming out here and doing this?" he said. "I mean, it’s a perfect night, and even from my house, [the traffic] was backed up the whole way."
As camp moves forward, defensive coordinator Bobby Babich will take things out of the defense that he doesn’t think works. Hoecht notes a lot of that goes on.
"Every team is going to figure out who they are, and that’s what training camp is for," he said. "We’re going to figure out who we are, how we’re going to win games, how we’re going to win games together, and hopefully make it a long season."
Every NFL team puts their own signature on their training camp, and Hoecht feels there are a few differences between the Bills and Rams.
"It’s similar. I’ve been very fortunate to be in two different organizations, and other than small tweaks to the schedule, it’s very similar," Hoecht said. "The Rams would travel to UC Irvine and then Loyola Marymount, so I’m used to being in dorms. I’ve been in dorms since I’ve been in college (Brown University). It just means dorms, cafeteria food and installing."
Coaches try to simulate game conditions in practice, but the thing Hoecht likes about this practice is how close it is to game conditions.
"You can hear them pumping the crowd noise, so that’s working our non-verbal communication, making sure the offense is able to move the ball when this place is rocking. Same thing with defense and every home game. I’m expecting this place to be rocking," Hoecht said.
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Deone Walker was taken by the Bills in the fourth round of this year’s draft out of the University of Kentucky. He was blown away by the fans on Friday.
"I’ve never had so many fans at a practice before, and I really do feel the love from 'Bills Mafia'. It means everything," said Walker.
Landon Jackson was Buffalo’s third-round pick this year out of the University of Arkansas, and he’s also in his first NFL training camp.
"It definitely makes you want to put on a show," Jackson said after practice Friday.
He too, thought having so many fans at the stadium made it feel like a game.
"By far, definitely, it’s a lot more realistic just trying to talk in the huddle," Jackson added. "You’ve got the fan noise, you’ve got the music, and it really makes you have to listen for checks. It’s definitely more of a game like feel."
Joe Andreessen is a Lancaster High School graduate, and having all the people here for a practice didn’t surprise him.
"Even driving in here, there was a lot of traffic. It’s crazy," Andreessen said following Friday's practice. "It’s a practice, and all these people out here makes it special.
"I was in traffic for about 30 minutes out there, and I was like, 'Nowhere else than in Buffalo.'"
The Bills get back to work Sunday at St. John Fisher University in Rochester at 11:15 a.m.