A healthy KJ Hamler looks to reach his potential with Bills

ORCHARD PARK, NY — KJ Hamler was quick to answer the question.

What type of player can fans expect from the new Buffalo Bills wide receiver?

“Oh, man. I’m lightning in a bottle,” Hamler said after practice during mandatory minicamp. “I’m electric in a bottle. I’m ready to take the cap off and once the ball is in my hands, I’m going to play with it.”

At 24, Hamler is still young but he is looking for a fresh start in Buffalo to rediscover the spark that made him a 2nd round pick of the Broncos four years ago.

“One of my coaches in Denver always told me, ‘You have to go through hell to get to heaven,’ and that still sticks with me to this day,” Hamler said.

His time in Denver saw flashes of greatness clouded by a series of injuries – a torn knee ligament and a dislocated hip among them – never allowing Hamler to reach his full potential.

“It’s been tough the last two or three years, but it’s exactly how God wanted it to happen,” he said. “I had to come to a conclusion about this.”

Last summer, there was another setback: a chest pain that he initially thought was a heart attack. Eventually, he was diagnosed with pericarditis, or inflammation of the sac around his heart.

“The pain was so excruciating that it woke me up around 4 a.m.,” Hamler said. “I had to drive to the hospital. (I’m) lucky I got there in time. (I’m) lucky I was able to treat him, but I had to take a whole different perspective of the life.”

Despite all his physical problems, his mental and emotional state suffered – made worse by events off the football field.

“(There) were times when I really wanted to give up,” he said. “At one point, I didn’t want to be here anymore. (I) lost my grandmother, I lost my cousin. I got injured. So I’m fighting through a whole bunch of adversity.”

Hamler was hit particularly hard when his grandmother died. She was a central point in his life; the first person he visited every time he returned home.

“I hate talking about her because I always kind of…you know what I’m saying,” Hamler said, fighting back tears. “But she was my first love. And I think she was the one who brought the family together, so it was a little hard without her.”

One thing after another put Hamler in a place he never imagined. But through therapy, opening up and sharing his story, he was able to find peace and happiness.

“It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. There’s still work to do, progress to be made but I’m still excited,” Hamler said. “That’s the problem. I’m not afraid anymore. I’m not afraid of anything. I can go out and play freely, with a free mind.”

A healthy mind and body, ready to find that lightning in a bottle in Buffalo.