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How the 2019 NFL Combine strengthened family bonds for 2 Bills fans

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It was father-son bonding at its finest at this year's NFL Scouting Combine for a pair of Bills Season Ticket Members and their kids. A welcomed surprise for Joseph Daniels and Bryan Scott, the longtime fans were ecstatic for the opportunity to represent Buffalo at one of the league's premier offseason events. While on the scene, Joseph, who brought his seven-year-old son Brayden along for the adventure, and Bryan, who was accompanied by his 15-year-old son Max, enjoyed quality time together and VIP access to watch NFL up-and-comers in action.

 "It was kind of unique. I was shocked that they picked us to be honest," said Daniels. "…It was such an exciting opportunity for us to go…"

"It was great [being able to represent the Bills]," said Scott. "We had all our Bills gear on and everyone else had their gear on. You would see Bills fans and wave and give them a high-five. The first day we were there, we stopped by and talked to Steve Tasker and John Murphy right after their show. They were super nice and professional and took pictures with us. They were great."

As expected among Bills fans, the Daniels and Scott boys quickly became friends.

"We spent quite a bit of time together," said Joseph. "It was really fun. it was kind of cool. We hadn't met until that morning on Friday. Just being Bills fans, it's almost a natural bonding. You know, it's almost like you've known each other forever."

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Spending most of their trip in Indianapolis together, the group was thrilled to meet NFL greats such as Fred Taylor, Santonio Holmes and Trent Richardson.

"Before we went into the Combine, they had a meet and greet the first day, which was really interesting because they had NFL Legends explaining why they were there," said Daniels. "[They were there] to help the guys on the field get through the workouts and to give them advice from their [own] experiences..."

Their exclusive introduction to the ins and outs of what it takes to become an NFL athlete continued as the guys were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at a few drills.

"The Combine itself was great," said Scott. "Seeing the guys that are going to be drafted soon and seeing their athletic ability [was exciting]. We liked watching the bench press and the passing drills with the receivers and the quarterbacks, that was really interesting."

The 2021 NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis, Indiana. Click through to see photos of current Bills players from when they performed at the Combine.

When their weekend in Indy was over, both Daniels and Scott were thankful for the chance to get to know one another and to have shared the experience with their sons.

"We like to go to the games", reflected Scott. "My son really enjoys it – he's really into sports. He loves the Bills like I do, [how] my mom loved the Bills, [as well as] my grandparents [and] my uncle. So, we're a family of lifelong Bills fans."

"It's so easy to be a Bills fan and Season Ticket Member, especially since the Pegulas have taken over the team…I've loved this team since I was my son's age and I'm almost 50, so it's been my lifelong passion watching the Bills," said Daniels. "It's kind of fun doing it with him [Brayden] now. He's getting a little bit older and he's getting more into the [players] – he loves Josh Allen and certain players he's very excited about."

With the 2019 NFL Draft and the season on the horizon, the Bills fans left with a sense of anticipation and optimism for what's to come.

"…I had a better appreciation of the talent in this year's draft and to get to see them up close I think really exemplified a lot of the talent…," said Scott.

"It's kind of ironic," said Daniels. "We ran into the Falcons General Manager Thomas Dimitroff as we were walking down to the stadium for our Saturday experience and he said, 'Yeah, I kind of grew up in the Buffalo-Cleveland area when I was a kid' and he was super complimentary of the area and the team, which was kind of neat [to hear] his perspective...He was talking about the Bills and Josh Allen…"

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