Former Bills offensive lineman John Fina will be the Legend of the Game for Buffalo's Monday night football game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Sept. 23.
Fina, who lives in Arizona, is excited about the opportunity to be the Legend of the Game.
"When you live way out west, like I do, you're limited on your opportunities to make it to Buffalo for games," Fina said. "There's no better place to watch a game for your home team than at home."
Fina said that he cannot wait to cheer on the Bills when they take the field on Monday night.
"It's a great honor," Fina said. "I'm thrilled to be there. I've been practicing my 'Hey-ey-ey-ey…' But I think by and large, the best part of that, is reliving being on the field with 70,000 plus people screaming back down at you. Now, obviously, and I'm not playing in the game, but there's something to behold when those sound vibrations start hitting you and you're at field level. It's exhilarating, and I'll be all smiles, for sure."
The lineman spent 10 of his 11 seasons in the NFL playing for the Buffalo Bills, appearing in two Super Bowls with the team and playing with several other Bills legends that have become Hall of Fame players.
"It's actually kind of cool, because, you know, it when it's happening," Fina said. "It didn't take me being retired for two or three or five years to realize and recognize that I played with guys like Steve Tasker, Darryl Talley, Andre Reed, Bruce Smith, Jim Kelly, Cornelius Bennett. Like you got to live in it… We're all colleagues, but at the same time, you're like, 'wow, that guy's going to have a gold jacket…' And watching any NFL athlete play on the field and do the things with their bodies that they can do that just astound and make you go, 'Holy cow,' it's an amazing feeling, and having lived it is one of the great privileges and honors of my life."
What Fina remembers most about his playing days is the bond that he and the other players in the locker room were able to share and the fans.
"There's a brotherhood among NFL players that is very strong," Fina said. "The locker room is such an important atmosphere, and we had good locker rooms. So, I remember fondly some of my teammates… You miss those exhilarating plays in the moment. You know, the defense gets a turnover and you're running out onto the field. Or Eric Moulds has a 65-yard touchdown pass and the place just blows up. Or, you know, that feeling walking off the field after a victory and just the roar of the crowd."
"I lived in the city, and everywhere you went, everybody was wearing Buffalo Bills gear, you know. And I don't think that happens in every market. Buffalo really loves their team and they really, they really embrace it… Our players give some incredibly great access to the fans… And I don't live there, but I feel a sense of gratification for the fans that have a genuine involvement with the player base."
Fina also has high hopes for the Bills this season and has been impressed with the play of the offensive line.
"I'm definitely in the camp that Buffalo has one of the top five, you could say top seven, offensive lines in the NFL, and I'm very impressed with the way they're playing," he said.
Fina also is the host of a podcast show on YouTube, called the "Off Tackle Show with John Fina" and appears on their Overreaction Buffalo Podcast that is live on YouTube four nights a week and after the games.
"It's been a blast," Fina said. "We're having a really good time with it. And, you know, I think that we try to engage with our fan base, respect them, respond to their commentary, and I think that really helps our brand move along."
Fina also has a son, Bruno, that has played college football for UCLA and now is the starting left tackle for Duke. His younger son Roman is also a senior and committed to play at Duke as well. Fina said his dream is to have both of his sons play for the Buffalo Bills.
"It was fun having my kid recruited," Fina said. "Next year, I'm going to have two at Duke… If they signed him, even just for camp, whatever it is, in two years from today, I'd be over the moon."
Fina will join Bills Mafia in rooting on the Bills as they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
