Buffalo Bills Training and Practice Facilities

[JoeZagorski]

Hey Guys,
I recently interviewed former Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dave Foley, and the subject went to different Buffalo practice and training facilities. Mr. Foley mentioned this:

"And I think that those couple of years in Buffalo, when we were out there practicing on the missile range. All of those crazy things that nobody can even imagine. And practicing out the back end of a motel. Yeah, the locker room was the kitchen of a motel. That’s where we were practicing out there on exit 56, behind the motel, on this little field back there."

Does anyone know anything about this location? Where on exit 56 (what highway)? What was the name of the motel? What was the name of the missile range? Does anyone know what years the Bills practiced there? Thanks for any information that you can provide.

Joe Zagorski

[Halas Hall]

Joe,

It appears NY state has not changed the numbering of their Thuway exits in a very long time, and 56 looks to be the Thuway exit for Orchard Park. Motels tend to cluster around these highway exits, so it may be difficult to pin down. For the missiles, maybe just google missile silos Orchard Park?

Good luck!
Nick

https://www.thruway.ny.gov/travelers/in ... e.cgi?m56x

[ChrisBabcock]

Exit 56 is the Blasdell exit off the New York state Thruway. (I-90). The Bills training camp in those days was at the Camelot Inn in Blasdell.
https://www.thegamebeforethemoney.com/t ... t-a-motel/

[JoeZagorski]

Thanks Nick and Chris! Much obliged to you both!
Joe Zagorski

[GameBeforeTheMoney]

Joe,

I guess I didn't link to the Niagra Gazette article in the link Chris posted. Here it is:

https://www.niagara-gazette.com/sports/ ... 39e5f.html

The most relevant piece of info from the Niagra Gazette article for you might be this:

"The Buffalo Bills moved their training camp to Monteagle Ridge in 1968 after five summers at the Camelot-Voyager Motor Inn in Blasdell, and before that, East Aurora’s Roycroft Inn.

“The Niagara facilities offer the conveniences and space for a more complete training camp,” Robert Lustig, the team’s general manager and executive vice president, said at the time. “We have acquired additional training equipment difficult to keep at our former site.”"

Hope this helps.
Michael