Buffalo Native Joe Andreessen Suits Up For Bills

Football is back in Western New York, and people in every corner of the region have donned their blue and red team gear to support the hometown team.

With the Buffalo Bills officials wrapping up NFL training camp in Rochester and moving practices and operations back to One Bills Drive, the team started preparing for its first preseason game. This year's preseason opener was a little different, as the team fielded a Buffalo native who was a standout player in high school and college, both are right here in the 716.

READ MORE: [PICS] Buffalo Bills First Preseason Game Against Chicago Bears

In the preseason game against the Chicago Bears on Saturday, August 10, 2024, Buffalo got its first game-time look at Joe Andreessen, the Depew native who played high school football for the Lancaster Legends and college football for Bryant University and the University at Buffalo Bulls.

Andreessen is an undrafted free-agent Linebacker who made the team after trying out for the Bills during their 2024 rookie minicamp. Joe showed the team what he could do, making it through tryouts into training camp and now donning a Bills helmet in an NFL game.

Andreessen is doing something that many young football players in Western New York have dreamed of: putting on the uniform and competing at the highest level inside Highmark Stadium.

Really cool for a guy that's in his hometown, he's going to be able to run out of that tunnel and really fulfill a dream that a lot of Western New Yorkers probably have. So I think it's really cool. I just hope Joe stays within who he is. And football's football. It doesn't matter what colors you're wearing; it doesn't matter where you're at and does all those things.
-Bobby Babich, Buffalo Bills Defensive Coordinator

Andreessen isn't the first Buffalonian to wear the charging Buffalo at Highmark Stadium; several Western New Yorkers have been privileged to play for the hometown team.

Way to go, Joe; we can't wait to see you do more in the NFL.