1. Celebrity sighting at One Bills Drive
Worlds collided this week when Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips met up with Chad Michael Murray for a visit to One Bills Drive. Murray, who has held a variety of noteworthy roles from feature films to the popular TV dramas "Riverdale" and "One Tree Hill," is a native of Clarence, New York, and a diehard Bills fan. In town with his wife, actress Sarah Roemer, and their family, the Murray clan got the ultimate experience as they tested their football skills on the field, went inside the locker room and spent quality time with Phillips at dinner.
"He's got a cannon [arm] still. I think he could play if he wanted to," said Phillips with a smile. "He's a big Bills fan. So, he's always supporting the Bills and he had tagged me and a few other players in stuff throughout the season and so I followed him, and he followed back," said Phillips. "I direct messaged him and said, 'Hey, if you're ever coming to a game let me know' and he let me know his schedule and said he would be happy to meet up. It just kind of happened organically through there – both fans of each other, so it worked out pretty cool.
"The one-stop shop is here at the facility, so we went through the locker room, training room, recovery lounges, weight room, cardio area, the turf in the weight room, through our indoor [practice field] out to our [outdoor] practice fields and then down to the stadium. So, [it was] just kind of a behind-the-scenes look at everything so he and his family…had a good time seeing…our beautiful facilities…"
Taking to social media, Murray, who now lives in Los Angeles, thanked Phillips on his Instagram story for the unforgettable trip.
"Thank you @harrisonphillips99 for the great memories," he wrote.
Murray wasn't the only one who enjoyed the day, however.
"Probably just going out to dinner, breaking bread [was the highlight for me]," said Phillips. "Getting into those more, not serious conversations, but not surface conversations…Just as the day went on, more genuine conversations and stuff like that. It was a fun time."
2. Bills players take on 'spooky szn'
It's officially the spookiest day of the "spooky szn" and Bills players got in the spirit in a big way this year, dressing up for a Halloween party at One Bills Drive. From Tre'Davious White and his family decked out as characters from the Hollywood hit "Wizard of Oz" to Pat DiMarco and his crew portraying "Benny 'The Jet' Rodriguez," "Wendy Peffercorn" "Squints" and the "Beast" from the 90s cult classic film "The Sandlot," these Bills ensembles did not disappoint.
Bills second-year safety Siran Neal also got in on the fun, taking a different approach with his costume. The proud father of a pair of three-year old fraternal twins named Lauren and London, Neal was "Daddy Pig" from the popular kids show "Peppa Pig."
"I had them in college…I think I was a junior in college when I found out I had twins on the way," he said. "At first, I was a little nervous about it, but when they got here, it was a change of life. I redirected my life and it actually gave me that push to get to this level now."
Focused on providing the best for his little girls, Neal elaborated on his relationship with the duo.
"Yeah, it's definitely a big part of my why. Especially last night, they wanted me to be 'Daddy Pig' and that's just something to do for them to put a smile on their face."
3. Jon Feliciano: Life of a gamer
Not only is Bills guard Jon Feliciano a gamer on the football field, the five-year lineman is also a serious gamer off it. Although he is relatively new to the Western New York area, having signed on with the Bills during the 2019 free agency period, Feliciano has found a way to familiarize himself with his new home though playing video games. A gaming aficionado, Feliciano does it all – he even streams online so others can follow along.
"My main game that I stream is Fortnite right now," he explained. "That's probably one of the biggest streaming games right now. On my free time…[I] play video games. So, when streaming came about, it was just kind of [my mentality that since] I was going to play games anyways, I might as well connect with some fans or Bills Mafia. It's been great for me to meet my fans and just to broaden my fan base.
"Definitely. It's definitely helped me [get to know the community]. I held a jersey giveaway, I gave away home tickets, I got to meet some fans. I mean, this is honestly the best way for myself to meet a new fan base and it's really easy. I do it from home. Everyone can do it from home and it's just a melting pot of people, [which] makes it really easy to [connect].
For Feliciano, video games also present a unique way to bond with his teammates.
"There are so many of us right now [on the team who play]. I play with Ike [Boettger] a lot. I know T.J. [Yeldon], 'Dre [Andre Roberts], 'Quan [Jaquan Johnson], they all play. Dion [Dawkins too] …Call of Duty just dropped so everyone's playing that right now."
