‘I’m just blessed:’ Bills LB reflects on making NFL debut for hometown team

Buffalo Bills rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen made his NFL debut in front of his hometown this weekend.

Kyle Silagyi | Aug 11, 2024

Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen signs autographs for fans following practice. / Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Joe Andreessen’s road to the NFL could perhaps be more accurately described as a roundabout, or a circle, as it’s, at least for the moment, led directly back to where it started.

His path to professional football has been anything but ordinary; the Lancaster, NY native first made a name for himself at Division 1 FCS school Bryant, transferring to his hometown University at Buffalo after a successful five-year stint with the Bulldogs. The linebacker tallied a team-high 90 tackles in his sole season with the Bulls; despite his production, the defender fell through the cracks of the 2024 NFL Draft, as Mid-American Conference prospects in their mid-20s often do.

Andreessen wasn’t deterred by adversity, however, trying out for his hometown Buffalo Bills at the team’s May rookie minicamp. He made an impact on Buffalo’s brass, inking a one-year deal with the team following the culmination of his tryout.

Playing in his first @NFL game for his hometown team.

Dream come true for Buffalo native @JoeAndreessen. 😍 #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/QuqC2J6i7W
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 10, 2024

Within two years, Andreessen went from starting games for a small school in Rhode Island to suiting up for his boyhood club.

It’s been a whirlwind of emotions for Andreessen, who has had to balance the surreality of the situation with adjusting to a completely new level of football. What was perhaps the most dreamlike moment of all occurred on Saturday as Andreessen played for Buffalo in its 2024 preseason opener, tallying four total tackles.

His stat line is secondary to the fact that he played; the Lancaster native took the field in a recognized NFL game in the stadium he grew up just minutes away from in front of thousands of fellow Western New Yorkers, among them his friends and family.

It was an unbelievable experience that the rookie will never forget.

“It met my expectations . . . That nervous excitement, it was definitely coming high through my body,” Andreessen told reporters after the game. “It was great. The fans cheering and all that, I’m just blessed to be in this position, absolutely.”

Andreessen elaborated on the ‘nervous excitement,’ telling reporters that it came in waves throughout the contest.

“Definitely [some jitters],” Andreessen said. “It’s kind of that nervous excitement if you’ve ever had that feeling. Over time it kind of goes away. You step out there on the field and it goes back up, your heartbeat’s kind of high, then it cools down and it’s just football after a couple of plays.”

Jul 24, 2024; Rochester, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen (44) and linebacker Shayne Simon (49) and linebacker Edefuan Ulofoshio (48) and linebacker Dorian Williams (42) leave the field after practice during training camp at St. John Fisher University. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Andreessen plate was as full as a double order of wings at Duff’s in his NFL debut; in addition to juggling the emotions that come with making your NFL debut and playing for your hometown team, the linebacker was also tasked with wearing the ‘green dot’ when he was on the field, meaning that he was in charge of relaying the defensive play calls and making sure his teammates were properly aligned. The rookie has been tasked with this at times throughout training camp, but the dichotomy in pace between practice and live games was a significant adjustment for the 24-year-old.

“It’s definitely a lot faster than training camp,” Andreessen said. “Play ends, you break the huddle, the offense is already lined up. Definitely faster paced than I was used to from training camp, but you get into the groove of things and it starts rolling out there.”

Andreessen’s path to the 53-man roster is still steep, but he’s shown a recent knack for overcoming the odds and exceeding expectations. He’ll look to continue to make an impact on Buffalo’s brass as the team continues its preseason next Saturday in a clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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