Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The Buffalo Bills held their annual "Return of the Blue and Red" practice on Friday in Orchard Park, and around 35,000 fans showed up.
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It was another emotional event for safety Damar Hamlin, as he put on his game uniform for the first time since he almost lost his life in Cincinnati back on Jan. 2.
One thing that didn’t surprise the third-year safety was the enthusiasm of "Bills Mafia".
"Buffalo is a special place. It’s one of the most special places in America. You only get to truly experience it as a Buffalo Bill, the right way," said Hamlin following Friday's practice.
"We had a practice in Rochester the other day in the rain, and no one flinched or moved a muscle. It was a full, packed house. It’s just things like that that mean a lot to you, and it just makes you want to win for them that much more."
The last time Hamlin was in the stadium for a game, he was just able to get back to the stadium after a prolonged stay in the hospital. He sat in one of the suites to watch his teammates, and pointed to that box on Friday.
"It’s right up there. That’s the last time I was here, and it was an emotional day," Hamlin said. "I felt the love then, but to be back out here so soon, I just can’t describe that to you."
Damien Harris spent four years with the New England Patriots, but never played in a Super Bowl. He’s come through the tunnel in Orchard Park as the enemy, but Friday was a unique experience for him.
"This is crazy. It almost made me late for practice, but this is great," said Harris after Friday's practice. "These are the best fans in the world, so it was great to come out here and strap it on front of them for the first time in our stadium, my first time here on the good side. Obviously the energy is electric, and I’m glad to be here."
The Bills fanbase is no stranger to cheering on for former Patriots.
"I’ve experienced 'Bills Mafia' a couple of times on a different end, but having it at your back is an electric feeling. It makes me excited for the year that’s to come," Harris said.
The team did a lot of red zone work, and when that happens in front of loud and enthusiastic fans, the adrenaline gets flowing.
"Anytime you can get into the box, you always want to touch that money. So as running backs especially, when you get the ball, it’s the hardest yard in football to gain," Harris said. "It’s the most on the line, and you want to touch that paint so your heart starts beating a little bit faster. But you’ve got to be able to maintain your composure, reach your key, do your job and hopefully get into the end zone."
Harris scored 15 of his career 20 touchdowns in 2021 when he played a career-high 15 games.
This year’s first-round tight end Dalton Kincaid got his first experience on his new home turf. He couldn’t believe what he saw.
"This is a whole different experience. It’s awesome to see all these people come out here," said Kincaid after Friday's practice in Orchard Park. "If this is anything close to what a home game is like, this is going to be fun."
Kincaid might be a valuable piece for quarterback Josh Allen and the offense in the red zone. He could feel the juice out there Friday night.
“Our defense is super good, and it’s good work to go against them. It’s iron sharpening iron out there, so those reps are valuable too, especially when we’re doing goal line," Kincaid said.
Last year for this practice, Allen came out of the tunnel in a red Bills helmet. This year, he came out wearing a blue Bills helmet.
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