The Bills signed defensive tackle Treyvon Hester on Thursday. The big-bodied defender will get a chance to make his impact in training camp behind both Ed Oliver and Star Lotulelei in the middle of Buffalo’s defensive line.
Hester joins the Bills via a one-year, likely “prove it” type of deal.
While not guaranteed a spot on Buffalo’s roster just yet, he does hold a status which only one other player, Taron Johnson, has: Playoff hero.
Johnson sent the Bills to the AFC title game last year when he intercepted Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in the divisional round and took the ball over 100 yards down the field for the score. In 2018, Hester made a similar impact.
Hester, now 28, caused the infamous (for Bears fans) “double-doink” field goal. Cody Parkey lined up for the game-winning kick for his team as time expired, and the ball went off of the uprights… twice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NH9aeHNUy8I
Initial reaction was that Parkey missed… but no. Hester tipped the ball:
Here’s a frame-by-frame look that clearly shows the Parkey kick was tipped by Treyvon Hester (Hester confirmed to @Bo_Wulf he tipped it). pic.twitter.com/6dOXui7Yyp
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) January 7, 2019
This game between the Eagles and Bears occurred in the 2018 Wild Card round. That was not the year the Eagles won the Super Bowl, rather, the season after. Still, perhaps such efforts on special teams is one route that Hester can take to cracking the Bills’ final 53-man roster in 2021.
Of course, he might also have to deal with at least one upset teammate with the Bills now.
For those who decided not to re-watch the live video of the double-doink above… you get a look at who was the Bears’ quarterback that game: new Bills backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. What could have been for Mitch had Hester not gotten his hand in the way?
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