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Zed Williams is at Bills rookie camp | News, Sports, Jobs

Zed Williams, right, makes contact with Frank Gore Jr. during the Buffalo Bills rookie minicamp Friday. Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills announced their minicamp rookie roster on Friday and among the 52 names, there was one very familiar, but not necessarily football-related.

Professional lacrosse player and Irving native Zed Williams was one of 26 tryout players at Friday’s camp, joining the Bills’ 10 draft picks, 12 undrafted free agents and four eligible players vying for a square.

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Williams has done just about everything you can do in the sport of lacrosse, both in the bullpen and on the field.

Last summer, the Silver Creek Central School graduate took third place with the Haudenosaunee Nationals at the 2023 World Lacrosse Championship; in 2022, he won the National Lacrosse League championship with the Colorado Mammoth; and in 2020, he won the Premier Lacrosse League championship with the Whipsnakes while also winning the league’s Most Valuable Player award.

Zed Williams. Photo courtesy of the Buffalo Bills

These are just the major highlights of his lacrosse career since turning professional after graduating from the University of Virginia.

The path to his illustrious lacrosse journey leads back to where he first made a name for himself: at Silver Creek.

While playing for the Black Knights, Williams became, and still remains, the all-time career high school scorer with 444 goals. When it came time for Williams to leave for college, he was the No. 4 recruit in the country, according to Inside Lacrosse.

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There is no doubt that lacrosse is his calling, but while participating at Silver Creek, Williams was able to show how athletic he is in a variety of sports. Williams set records on the lacrosse field, but it was evident when he competed on the gridiron and hardwood that he was an equally gifted athlete.

Fast forward to more than a decade after playing football for the Black Knights in Section VI and Williams returns to the field. However, this time, Williams is living a childhood dream and trying to join the Bills.

Williams wears jersey No. 35 and is listed as a tight end, but is also an option at linebacker.

Although lacrosse isn’t as brutally physical as football, Williams is known for his scoring and strength. He’s 6-foot-2, weighs 230 pounds and, in photos released by the Bills, doesn’t look physically out of place at all.

Williams isn’t alone among the local products looking to realize their dream of playing for the Bills. Joe Andreessen also tries his hand at linebacker and University at Buffalo alum Bull is from Depew, while kicker Alex McNulty is from Caledonia and also played at UB.

Rookie minicamp at Orchard Park will end today.


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