ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — You've probably heard the phrase that there's always a Buffalo connection. Well, in the NFL, there's no shortage of people with ties to Western New York.
For starters, the Bills have three former University at Buffalo stars on the payroll: linebacker Joe Andreessen and cornerbacks Cam Lewis and Ja'Marcus Ingram. In fact, there are 11 Bulls on rosters across the league right now, and you find out more about them here.
Here's a look at NFL players and head coaches who are Western New York natives:
Andreessen played high school football in Lancaster, spent five years at Bryant University, then played at UB in 2023 as a graduate student. But what really caught the attention of local sports fans was his rise up the depth chart with the Bills. He started as a tryout player during rookie minicamp in early May, then kept climbing. The Depew native thrived during his one season with the Bulls. He started all 12 games at linebacker and led the team with 90 tackles, including 12 for a loss. He also had a sack, two pass breakups, and forced a fumble.
The tight end graduated from Jamestown High in 2015 and was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2019. He's now on the Chicago Bears roster. He played in 26 games during the 2019, 2020, and 2023 seasons, recording six catches for 62 yards and a touchdown.
The head coach for the New York Giants graduated in 1993 from St. Francis High School. He joined the Bills in 2018 and stayed through the 2021 season before becoming a head coach. The Giants finished with a 9-7-1 record in 2022 before they lost in an NFC Divisional playoff game, then 6-11 in 2023.
The tight end was part of three Super Bowl-winning teams during his time with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Buffalo native signed with the Miami Dolphins during the offseason but failed to make the 53-man roster before the season began. He then re-signed with the Chiefs before Week 4. Fortson has 14 catches for 155 yards and four touchdowns over 19 games, all in the 2021 and 2022 seasons. An undrafted free agent in 2019, the South Park High graduate and former Erie Community College standout spent his first two seasons in Kansas City on the practice squad.
A Buffalo native and Bennett High graduate, the linebacker played at Boston College from 2017 to 2020. He was taken in the sixth round by the Green Bay Packers in the 2021 draft. He played in 46 games during his first three seasons, racking up 131 tackles (50 solo).
The Philadelphia Eagles head coach is a Jamestown native who graduated from Southwestern High in 1999. Before becoming the Eagles' coach in 2021, he spent three years as offensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts under former Bills quarterback Frank Reich. Philadelphia went 9-8 in 2021, 14-3 in 2022, and 11-6 in 2023. The 2022 season ended with a Super Bowl loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.