Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Bills voted on their captains for the upcoming 2023 season and wide receiver Gabe Davis is a captain for the first time in his career.
Stefon Diggs is close with Davis, and he isn’t surprised the fourth-year receiver was selected by his teammates. In fact, he was one of them that voted for him as a captain.
Related
"Just his consistency, especially from a young guy on, and he’s been in the weight room this past offseason. There’s been discipline over a course of time that doesn’t waiver," said Diggs following Thursday's practice in Orchard Park.
"He’s the same guy each and every day, and he works extremely hard. He gets along with everybody, and has people leaning on him. It gets to the point where he’s a trusted player."
LISTEN LIVE TO WGR:
In talking with Davis on Thursday, he seemed very humbled by the honor.
"It feels good," said Davis. "To be a young guy on this team and have a lot of older guys look at me in that way, and to lead the players of the Buffalo Bills is great. I couldn’t be more happy or honored."
While Davis is now a captain of the Bills going forward, he insists nothing will change on and off the field. He's just going to be himself.
"I feel like I know what the standard is around here, because we hold the best guy to the standard, as well as the last guy," Davis said.
Davis feels like he practices what he preaches, and he’ll be vocal when he needs to be.
Bills general manager Brandon Beane said Wednesday he’s not surprised by Davis being a captain, because of his work ethic.
"I feel like guys can trust me when it comes to the hard stuff, and I think I’ve shown that over the years being here," said the former fourth-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Diggs has been a captain for a couple of years, and he has his way of leading as does Josh Allen and the other captains. Diggs says you can’t really say one thing makes a player a good leader.
"This team is full of different personalities, and I feel like he’s a guy that does everything right and also making plays," he said. "It’s hard to lead from the back if you’re not making plays, but I feel like he’s trusted."
As far as Diggs being a captain again, he says it means a lot to him.
"For me, it means more now than it did before when it was my first time as captain," Diggs admitted. "It’s just the consistency of it and the respect from your peers, because the biggest thing is earning the respect from my teammates and the respect from the coaches."
Diggs also says other factors went into it.
"With everything that went on as far as the offseason, it’s blocking out the noise," he said. "There’s been a lot of chatter, but you focus on football, you focus on the team and the guys around you. I’ll keep working hard and keeping your head down, and bring my lunch pail and give it everything I got."
With social media, a lot of things are said. However, Diggs says the only people that matter are in the locker room.
"I don’t take things personal from people I don’t know personally, because I know those guys personally. I know their family, I know their kids, so my appreciation goes to those guys and how they look at you and how they respect you," Diggs said.
New quarterback Shane Buechele was at Thursday's practice, as was new linebacker Christian Kirksey. Both players are starting the 2023 season on the practice squad.
