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ORCHARD PARK White LeSean McCoy Jerseys , N.Y. (AP) — Thurman Thomas recalled a phone call he received a couple weeks ago from former Buffalo Bills teammate Bruce Smith.“Do yo know what it means to have your jersey retired?” Smith asked Thomas. “Do you realize the importance?”“I do now,” Thomas told to a sold-out crowd at New Era Field on Monday night. “Now that I’m here with you, I realize it even more.”The Bills retired Thomas’ No. 34 during a ceremony at halftime of Buffalo’s game against the New England Patriots. He is the third player in Bills history to receive the honor. Jim Kelly had his No. 12 retired in 2001, and Smith’s No. 78 was retired in 2016.With the lights turned out at the sold-out stadium, highlights from Thomas’ Hall of Fame career were shown on the video scoreboard while two spotlights projected 34s onto the field.Retired ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman introduced Thomas, who was joined by his family on an elevated platform at midfield. His name and number were unveiled on a wall above the east end zone.“When I look up and see the No. 34 retired under my name, I’ll be reminded that number doesn’t just belong to me,” Thomas said. “It belongs to the Bills fans everywhere.”Kelly and Smith were among several former teammates who watched the ceremony on the field. Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy and former general manager Bill Polian were also among the group.Earl Campbell, one of two Hall of Fame running backs, along with Walter Payton, who inspired Thomas to wear No. 34 LeSean McCoy Jerseys 2019 , recorded a video message for the ceremony.Thomas played 12 of his 13 seasons in Buffalo and is the franchise’s all-time leading in rushing yards (11,938) and yards from scrimmage (16,279). He was voted NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year in 1991 and led the league in yards from scrimmage in four straight seasons from 1989-92.The Bills put Thomas on their Wall of Fame in 2005, two years before he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Nine other players have worn No. 34 for the Bills, including Cookie Gilchrist, the 1962 American Football League MVP and star of Buffalo’s 1964 AFL championship team.Oklahoma State College and Willowridge High School in Houston have also honored Thomas by retiring No. 34. ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP)Bills defensive end Lorenzo Alexander is ready to give rookie first-round pick Josh Allen the benefit of the doubt based on how apologetic the former Wyoming quarterback has been acknowledging a series of racially insensitive tweets he posted while still in high school.Alexander, a respected team leader, expects his teammates to do the same and provide Allen a fair opportunity to clear the air.”He has shown maturity to own it. He wrote those words. He’s not using a cop-out,” Alexander said Friday.”I think the biggest thing now is to earn the respect of his teammates by the way he comes in and works. And when guys ask him, just being open and honest about it White Kyle Williams Jerseys ,” he added. ”And I think most guys will accept his answer based on who he is.”Allen agreed when informed of Alexander’s comments, and is eagerly awaiting the opportunity.Twice repeating the phrase ”as soon as possible,” Allen called it important to apologize for what he posted and show Bills players who he is today.”It’s something that I wouldn’t be afraid or ashamed of doing,” he said upon arriving at the team’s facility a day after Buffalo traded up five spots in the NFL draft order to select Allen with the seventh pick.”I put it on my shoulders,” he added. ”I made a mistake and I just want them to know who I am, because once they get to know who I am, I think they’re going to like what they see.”Allen traveled to Buffalo along with fellow first-round draft pick, Tremaine Edmunds. The Bills traded up six spots to select the Virginia Tech linebacker with the 16th pick.The trades left Buffalo with just the 96th pick on Friday, with which they selected Stanford defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 307 pounds and was a two-year starter with the Cardinal. Phillips led Stanford with 103 tackles while adding 7 1/2 sacks and earned first-team Pac-12 honors in his senior season last year.Phillips will have a chance to develop in Buffalo on a defensive line that features two veteran starters in Kyle Williams and offseason free-agent addition Star Lotulelei.Allen has been the focus of attention since Wednesday night, when Yahoo Sports reported the quarterback sent the now-deleted tweets in 2012 and 2013. They contained racially insensitive language and offensive statements.He has repeatedly apologized for the posts, while saying he was ”young and dumb” in parroting rap lyrics and catchphrases from TV and pop culture.Allen also expressed relief in how the Bills stuck by him in making him only the franchise’s fourth quarterback to be drafted in the first round. The selection only happened after general manager Brandon Beane spent much of Thursday speaking with Allen Kyle Williams Jerseys 2019 , his coaches and former teammates to be reassured of the player’s character.Allen acknowledged becoming emotional during a half-hour phone conversation with Beane.”I just really wanted him to know the type of person I was,” he said. ”I was embarrassed by everything that happened. It’s something that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy.”Coach Sean McDermott said he consulted with his team leaders once Allen’s tweets became public, while informing them of the possibility of the quarterback being selected.”We take these things seriously in respect to adding any player,” McDermott said. ”And when this came up, it went to another level.”Alexander said the Bills established a strong leadership group last year in confronting various issues – from a major roster overhaul to finding consensus on how to handle anthem protests. They finished 9-7 to end a 17-year playoff drought which the longest active streak in North America’s four major professional sports.Alexander said Bills defensive end Eddie Yarbrough vouched for Allen after the two played together at Wyoming in 2015.”I respect Eddie and his opinion,” Alexander said. ”So I would be foolish not to extend grace in getting to know this young man who’s coming into our locker room.”It wasn’t lost on Alexander, either, that the Bills previously welcomed Richie Incognito after the offensive guard was out of football for 18 months following his role in the Miami Dolphins’ bullying scandal in 2013. Incognito became a Bills leader before abruptly announcing his retirement this month.”I don’t see why this situation can’t be any different,” he said.”I think we have a strong locker room. We have leaders who promote healthy conversation,” Alexander said. ”We will move past this. And we’ll look back and it won’t even seem like it was as big as it was made out to be.”—