The man they call “Buffalo Joe” has been the story of the preseason in Buffalo.
University of Buffalo product Joe Andreessen earned a spot in training camp after a tryout during rookie minicamp and hasn’t looked back. He put an exclamation point on his work in the preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers, totaling eight tackles to bring his preseason total to 23.
He was all over the field against the Steelers in Week 2, racking up 11 tackles and making sure everyone knew that he wasn’t just happy to be a preseason feel-good story - he’s here to make the team. Following his final preseason game, Andreessen said that he’s grateful for the opportunity Buffalo has given him.
“I've been working my whole life for this,” Andreessen said. “It kind of felt like something that was so far away that was never going to come true."
It certainly feels like Andreessen did enough to earn a spot in the Bills’ linebacker rotation, especially after it thinned out with the injury to All-Pro Matt Milano. And while it is up in the air whether or not Andreessen will crack the final 53-man roster, the fan-favorite linebacker is confident that his NFL dream won’t end after this preseason.
"I don't think the journey's going to be over one way or another."