DC Bobby Babich explains team tradition that fires up Bills' defense

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich told reporters about a weekly defensive tradition that reminds his unit to play with the physicality expected of them.

Kyle Silagyi | Aug 5, 2024

Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich pumps up the defensive squad as they head to the back field for drills. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich took the podium for his Monday press conference at St. John Fisher University in a stylish black t-shirt, the team’s insignia, expectedly, displayed proudly at its center.

It was the words surrounding the logo that piqued reporters’ interest, however; the shirt read “Slobber Knocker of the Week,” an admittedly humorous string of words that means nothing to the average person.

To the Buffalo defense, however, the phrase carries significant weight.

Established by former Bills linebackers coach Bob Babich (Bobby’s father), the “Slobber Knocker of the Week” is a beloved tradition at One Bills Drive, an accolade awarded to the Buffalo defender who delivered the most physical hit in each game the team wins. Babich explained the lore and significance of the tradition at his press conference, stating that it’s become a point of pride amongst the defenders who win it.

“Slobber Knocker of the Week,” Babich said. “I’ll give a little shoutout here to my dad. Sean wants a physical brand of football, and I guess this is an old-school term. This is something, as you see, that was established in 2019, and actually that was a guess by me. Every week that we win, we give out the most physical hit of the game. These guys make a lot of money, but they get very excited about this t-shirt.

“They get very excited about this t-shirt. It’s really an award that we give out on weeks that we win, obviously we want the game to be clean, legal, and all of those types of things, but we also want to instill that physical style of play. Just a little something that we can show those guys and recognize things that we ask for.”

Though Babich isn’t aware of the origins of the term “slobber knocker,” the average professional wrestling fan is; though he didn’t necessarily invent the phrase, it was popularized by former WWF/WWE commentator Jim Ross, who is the voice of an entire generation of wrestling fans’ childhoods. “Slobber knocker” was an oft-visited phrase of the announcer’s lexicon, right up there with “bah god, he’s broken in half” and “he’s tougher than a two-dollar steak.”

Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Bobby Babich gives instructions to the defense during drills. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

The award—which comes with a fashionable t-shirt—has impassioned Buffalo’s defense, to the point that its players even think about it mid-game. Now overseeing the entire defense, Babich has passed the role of “Slobber Knocker of the Week” czar to linebackers coach Al Holcomb—and the first-year coordinator couldn’t be any happier.

“I was in charge of the Slobber Knocker, so I get a right to the t-shirt,” Babich said. “I get them made, I get all of that stuff. It’s a hard job because guys will literally run off the field during the game and be like ‘That was the winner! That was the Slobber Knocker!’ Al Holcomb is now in charge, so I gladly pass that onto Al to get criticized in meetings on who the Slobber Knocker of the Week winner is.”

Team traditions generally go a long way in building camaraderie, and it’s as encouraging as it is humorous to see the Bills’ defenders hold the “Slobber Knocker of the Week” award in such high regard. The tradition reminds the unit to play with the level of physicality expected of them, and all the team’s coaching staff needs to do is provide a t-shirt to those who adhere to their philosophies.

That seems like a solid trade-off.

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