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Bills HC praises breakout LB Joe Andreessen: 'What a cool story for Buffalo'

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott had some high praise for his young undrafted rookie linebacker Joe Andreessen.

Anthony Miller

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One of the feel-good stories emerging from the Buffalo Bills preseason thus far has been that of Depew, NY native Joe Andreessen, and even his head coach can't help but be moved by his journey.

Head coach Sean McDermott spoke about the breakout undrafted free agent linebacker during his Monday media availability, telling reporters that his story is heartwarming for all of Western New York.

“What a story for Buffalo and all the young football players in Buffalo," McDermott said. "They get a chance to look to this young man who is playing for the Buffalo Bills, his hometown team. What an awesome story for you guys [and] for the community. He’s worked extremely hard. I mean I know how hard he works in the summer and what football means to him and just a phenomenal young man off the field. He’s done a tremendous job on the field.”

Andreessen went undrafted in this year’s NFL Draft after playing his final college year at the University at Buffalo. He started all 12 games for the Bulls as he led the team in tackles with 90, adding 12 tackles for loss, one sack, two pass deflections and one forced fumble.

Related: Who is Joe Andreessen? 5 things to know about the Bills' breakout UDFA LB

Andreessen made an impact on Buffalo's brass while trying out for the team at its May rookie minicamp, signing as an undrafted free agent after the conclusion of the tryout. He's made a similar impact fanbase on the Buffalo faithful throughout the preseason, as he's become a fast fan favorite. He had a shot at getting the start against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday in place of Terrel Bernard (who was held out due to general injury concerns at linebacker), and he made the most of his opportunity.

“We named him the starter it was ‘Hey, let’s see what he can do,'” McDermott said. “It wasn’t too big for him. He went out there and made plays. Very impressed with what he did.”

Joe Andreessen
Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Andreessen led the Bills in tackles on Saturday with 12 and had two tackles for loss as Buffalo beat the Steelers on the road 9-3. His performance was highlighted as a bright spot for the Bills, and McDermott hopes he'll be able to repeat this weekend.

“We’re looking forward to him getting another shot this weekend and this time at home and maybe in front of a few more fans for him," McDermott said. "It’s a great story and we’re proud of Joe.”

With the injury to former All-Pro defender Matt Milano, the Bills are looking for their linebackers to step up and perform, and Andreessen took a big step in sealing his fate on the 53-man roster against Pittsburgh. He’ll have one last shot at making a strong impression in front of the home crowd on Saturday against the Carolina Panthers.

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