The billboard: A daily dose from Bills training camp
McKelvin on field
Bills first-round draft pick Leodis McKelvin signed his pro contract Saturday night. The deal is worth a maximum value of $19.4 million over five years. Achieving his dream of joining an NFL team was an emotional moment for McKelvin and his family.
“I told my mom and she started crying,” McKelvin said Sunday. “We’re real excited. I’ve got a chance to help my family out financially.”
McKelvin said his first big purchase will be a new house for his mother, Lydia Brown, in their home state of Georgia. Brown works as a teacher’s aide in an elementary school.
“She already picked it out,” he said. “She’s ready to move into it. It’s in a good district for my niece and nephew, who will go to the same school where she teaches.”
The Bills didn’t waste any time putting McKelvin to work. McKelvin had a 7 a. m. wake-up call, ate breakfast and was watching film with coaches at 8 a. m. Sunday.
McKelvin said coaches have told him he will spend a lot of his practice time working in the nickel defense. McKelvin practiced mostly on the outside during spring work.
McKelvin also showed he’s eager to erase the perception that he doesn’t have great interception ability.
After lifting weights with the rest of the defensive players Sunday
afternoon, McKelvin came out of the Bills’ training
building by himself and spent about 15 minutes catching footballs thrown out of the Jugs machine.
“I caught three interceptions my whole college career,” McKelvin said. “I had plenty of chances my senior year. I could have led the nation in picks easily but I dropped
more. That’s the first thing I’m working on. I’m going
to work on it after practices.”
Corto back
Former Orchard Park High School star Jon Corto is back for his second Bills training camp. Corto, a 6- foot, 208-pound safety, spent five weeks in camp last summer and also was on the Bills’ practice squad for part of the regular season. The former All-Western New Yorker was a Division I-AA All- America linebacker at Sacred Heart University (Conn.) but has made a good enough transition to safety to give himself another NFL shot.
“I think what I’m going to try to do this year is show versatility, that I can play multiple roles so that the team sees I can play special teams and play both safeties,” Corto said. “I’m going to try to be as valuable as I can be. I think that’s my best shot at making the team.”
Corto worked on his conditioning the past month with former Bills safety Coy Wire in Pennsylvania.
“He has a facility down there – Most High Training,” Corto said. “We were running in the creek, running up hills, and doing some really advanced training, like jumping up on balls and stabilizing ourselves. I’m in the best shape of my life. We had big medicine balls. When I first got there I wasn’t able to jump up and stand on it. By the time I left I could.”
Corto is sixth on the Bills’ safety depth chart.
Directions
From Buffalo take the Thruway to Exit 47. Take Route 490 East for 25 miles to Exit 25 (Fairport Road –31F). Turn right. The shuttle bus lot at East Rochester High School is about a mile down the road. Shuttles run continuously before and after practice. There is no public parking on campus.
Schedule
Today’s practice is 11 a. m. to 1:05 p. m. The schedule for the rest of the week: 7 to 9:05 p. m. Tuesday; 1 to 3:05 p. m. Wednesday; 7 to 9:05 p. m. Thursday; 2:15 to 4:20 p. m. Friday; and 10:10 a. m. to 12:20 p. m. Saturday. Tickets are required for the night practices Tuesday and Thursday, and no more tickets are available for those two sessions.
On the Web
Check out the Bills daily blog and weigh in with your comments at buffalonews.com/blogs.
Quote of the Day
“I’m ready to show that I’m physical and that I can cover.” –Leodis McKelvin.
–Compiled by Mark Gaughan.
