After day one of Bills training camp, Josh Allen revealed that the turkey burgers from the Ward-Haffey Dining Hall at St. John Fisher University are why he loves going to the college campus for camp.
"I love going to camp," Allen said. "We got TBT after (practice) — 'Turkey Burger Time'. They got the best turkey burgers here. I put jalapeños on them. That's the main reason I like coming here."
Since Allen created a buzz around the turkey burgers, other players have chimed in and confirmed they are as good as Allen made them out to be. The Bills are returning to St. John Fisher for the first time since 2019, and the players have missed the unique experience the college campus offers.
"I've been waiting three years for those turkey burgers," said safety Jordan Poyer.
Allen's take on the now-famous turkey burgers has even sparked competition among some teammates to see who is going to eat the most by the end of camp. Just four days in, some players had already hit double digits.
"I'm going on No. 5 today," said Micah Hyde on day three of camp. "I think everyone's keeping count. I think Tre'Davious (White) has had 11."
When it's not Turkey Burger Time at the dining hall, players are lined up at the Hikari Asian Fusion stir fry station followed by a post-practice smoothie. But Head Coach Sean McDermott's favorite spot is off-campus and in the heart of Pittsford at Pittsford Farms Dairy.
"I love it. Not only for Pittsford Dairy, but also for Bills Training Camp," said McDermott. "You get yourself a good milkshake or ice cream. I like the chocolate malt personally."
Going away from their normal facilities for training camp allows the players, coaches, and staff to all come together as a team. Whether that's after a meeting or before practice, players can hang out off the field to further develop bonds that'll bind the team together during the year.
"You spend every waking second with your teammates. And again, all you get to focus on is football here, which is a blessing for me because I love this game so much," said Allen
While there are a handful players who are still getting used to the dorm life again, everybody would agree the time spent at camp helps build chemistry throughout the locker room while focusing on the game they love. Playing card games and board games in the dorms, or a few rounds of ping pong after dinner, will go a long way once the season is underway.
"It forces guys to develop relationships with people that just got on the team that you might not know a lot," said linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. "And I think that's a big advantage and we could use that, and it'll go a long way for us."
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs and linebacker Von Miller are taking in the experience for the first time. For Diggs, heading to St. John Fisher for training camp was something he's heavily anticipated since it was announced that the team was going back this year. Though he's in year three with the Bills, it's his first trip to Pittsford.
And for Miller, being age 33 and back in a dorm room brings him back the college environment which is an atmosphere where he feels he flourishes in.
"It started at Texas A&M, we were in dorms just like this for training camp and that's where you pull all the guys together, that's where you earn the respect and the trust of your teammates," Miller said. "Toilet paper's different, the beds are different. There's no TV in the dorm room. You've got to make up your bed and change it and do all of that stuff every day. It takes some getting used to but I'm all for it."
But the best part of it all? Getting to interact with Bills Mafia once again.
"10 years, 15 years down the road … I'm not gonna have fans asking for my autograph, so just trying to embrace all of it," Jordan Poyer said. "Plus, I play a game that I passionately love, so, that helps a lot too. So, I love coming to St. John Fisher, I love all the guys on the team, and it's a really special group of guys."
