Miss our latest profile? Go Long sat down with New York Giants wide receiver Calvin Austin III for 2+ hours over dinner in New Jersey.
Look deeper into his past and it’s evident he’s exactly what this organization needs.
Ten years and one month ago, Rex Ryan strutted up to a podium inside First Niagara Center in downtown Buffalo to introduce the Republican nominee for President of the United States. A businessman by the name of Donald J. Trump. It was a wild night — stick around for video footage at the bottom of this post. Back then, I was covering the event as a Bills beat writer for The Buffalo News. As I walked to the media viewing zone alongside Mike Rodak of ESPN and Matthew Fairburn of Syracuse.com— lanyards around necks, laptops in tow — we were serenaded with boos.
New York always votes blue, of course. Nothing happening here was going to change the election. Yet, the area was packed. Right then, I remember thinking Trump just might pull a November upset.
Rex did Rex, pumping up the crowd with prepared battle cries.
There was backlash. Locally and nationally.
A decent amount of players on the Buffalo Bills roster certainly weren’t thrilled with the political affiliation of their boss. Eventually, OTAs came around. Then, minicamp, Then, training camp. Then, those 2016 Bills went 7-9 and Ryan was promptly fired.
There was plenty of squabbling in those Bills locker rooms. The season prior, multiple vets were pissed at Mario Williams for quiet quitting and, per one vet, caring more about his remote control cars than playing football. Sammy Watkins demanded the ball 10 times a game. Percy Harvin essentially vanished from the team. LeSean McCoy kissed the Eagles logo ahead of a game against his old team. The team’s offensive line coach (allegedly) punched a boy and threatened to kill his family over the use of a beach chair. The club picked up one defensive end, IK Enemkpali, who slugged his own Jets QB in the jaw… and then made him the captain ahead of one primetime Bills-Jets game.
When Rex hired his twin brother Rob into ‘16 — the real alpha brother — Buffalo’s defense only got worse.
If we were to conduct a forensic study of the Rex Era Bills, his decision to introduce Trump at a rally would hardly register. I knew a few players on the left end of the political spectrum in the locker room who didn’t give a damn about his voting preference. They also recall Rex’s pregame speeches as some of the best they’ve heard in their lives. But, man. They hated his scheme. They’re still pissed that he somehow managed to ruin a good thing on defense.
Which brings us to Jaxson Dart.