Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - With kickoff for the 2025 Buffalo Bills season set for Sunday night against the Baltimore Ravens, it also marks the start of the final season for football at the current Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
Over the course of the 2025 season, WBEN will reflect on the legacy and lore of Highmark Stadium with a number of current and former players, as well as fans and others with deep connections and memories of the building that has played home of the Bills since the 1973 season.
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Bills long snapper Reid Ferguson is the longest-tenured player on the active roster in 2025, getting set for his 10th season in Buffalo. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the team in 2016 out of LSU.
Having appeared in 131 games over the span of his career, Ferguson has seen quite a few games that have stood out in his years in the league at the stadium.
"I think of a few game-winning field goals, big playoff wins. I think the [Indianapolis] Colts game, the first home playoff win in a long time. The next week against the Ravens, 6,500 people in the stands but it sounded like it was a full stadium, Taron [Johnson]'s pick-six. You think of the week after the Damar [Hamlin] incident, Nyheim Hines taking to kickoff returns to the house, that's probably the loudest I've ever heard the stadium," recalled Ferguson in an interview with WBEN.
The common theme with all those games that make them special for Ferguson is the fans and their passion and dedication to this team.
"Coming here in 2016, I had just finished four years at LSU, a great college town, super passionate fan base, tailgating atmosphere. And you come here and I'm like, 'Wow, this kind of feels like, in a good way, a college town.'" Ferguson said. "People love the team, they live and die for the team. And the tailgating atmosphere is awesome to see. I love driving down Big Tree on a game day and seeing fires going, grills going, people walking into the stadium with the Zubaz and the Bills jersey on. It's great, it's kind of setting the tone for game day."
The fan interactions have been a key part of Ferguson's routine over the years both on and off the field in Orchard Park.
"I think some of my favorite things to do, my parents will come to games, come down to the front row, I'll go over there and visit with them and then end up chatting with people that are either sitting next to them or hanging out there next to them, and meeting somebody new every week. Taking some pictures, just meeting fans is one of my favorite things about game day," Ferguson noted.
Some of Ferguson's other favorite fan interactions come with stories he hears from others in the community, including neighbors of moments at Highmark Stadium during the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
"One off games, beating New England, beating some of these other teams, Miami at home, stuff like that. There were some great games and some really fun players that came through in those drought years," Ferguson noted. "And then some of the older folks I know that were around for the early '90s teams, people love talking about that era too. Bills fans, I think, of all ages, there's no shortage of exciting stories to tell from any era of Bills football."
Knowing his role by not being that every down player in the NFL, the 31-year-old admits he's just as much of a fan as anybody else on a game day at the stadium.
"When we're on defense, I have my helmet close to me, but I'm pretty much watching as a fan, unless there's a pick-six or something that happens where you gotta rush out and get out there. But that's where I try to take it down a little bit," Ferguson said. "If the offense is on the field, I've got to be ready - punt, field goal, extra point, whatever happens - we could score on any play. But I've really enjoyed watching the defense over the years, grow, take advantage of opponents and take over games when their number is called. I love watching the game as a fan just as much as anybody."
Who have been some of Ferguson's favorite players to take the field with him on a game day at Highmark Stadium?
"Definitely Josh [Allen], creating some of those special moments, seemingly, every quarter, every week. [Stefon] Diggs was a lot of fun, a lot of special moments with Diggs," he noted. "'Shady' [LeSean McCoy], a lot of good moments, I'd say Micah [Hyde] and [Jordan] Poyer, Lorenzo [Alexander] a couple years ago. Definitely a few names over the years that you can look back on. Kyle Williams, I mean, his pregame speeches and stuff like that, just being a part of the tail into his career and seeing him get to be sent off in a great light with the fans and stuff. There's probably a handful, I know there's definitely more, but those are a couple that stick out."
Once this season comes to an end and the current Highmark Stadium is decommissioned and prepared for demolition, what may be something from the stadium that Ferguson would like to take home and place on the mantel o in the basement as a keepsake? He's got a few items in mind.
"Definitely want to see if I can snag a piece of turf, maybe a section number off the wall. Maybe try and snag one of the play clocks, if I can. There's a few things I have in mind that I'll keep close to the chest so nobody takes them," Ferguson said with a smile.
While Ferguson has yet to get over to the new stadium and check out the progress of construction, he's very much looking forward to sharing the experience of the new facility with the fans.
"I have personally never been a part of a new stadium, LSU expanded their stadium a little bit when I was in school, so I got a little taste of a new part of a stadium. That's going to be such a fun and fulfilling experience next year for fans and the players to see some of the new amenities that are going to come with the stadium," Ferguson added.
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