FILE - Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Alec Anderson (70) looks on from the sidelines during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Chicago. Buffalo Bills backup offensive lineman Alec Anderson was transported by ambulance to a hospital after experiencing heat-related issues following practice on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski, File)
FILE - Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Alec Anderson (70) looks on from the sidelines during the second half of an NFL preseason football game against the Chicago Bears, Saturday, Aug. 26, 2023, in Chicago. Buffalo Bills backup offensive lineman Alec Anderson was transported by ambulance to a hospital after experiencing heat-related issues following practice on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski, File)
PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills backup offensive lineman Alec Anderson is expected to be released from the hospital following a brief stay in which he was treated for heat-related illness symptoms, the team announced on Tuesday.
“The Bills medical team, (GM) Brandon Beane and (coach) Sean McDermott spoke with Alec on the phone a short time ago, and he was in good spirits,†the Bills said in a statement released a few hours after the player was loaded into an ambulance and transported to the hospital following practice. “He is expected to be released from the hospital later this afternoon.â€
Anderson appeared having difficulty getting up after the team’s post-practice stretching period.
McDermott and several Bills players were gathered near the ambulance, with offensive lineman Kevin Jarvis seen flashing a thumbs-up sign to his teammate through the ambulance window.
Starting left tackle Dion Dawkins referred to Anderson as being a “tough dude,†before adding: “Regardless of what it is, Alec’s fighting and he’ll be all right.â€
Anderson is in his third year with Buffalo after being signed as an undrafted rookie free agent out of UCLA. He spent his first season on the Bills’ practice squad before making the roster last year, though he’s yet to appear in a game. Anderson has already had a notable camp in having been involved in several on-field scuffles with defensive teammates.
Before practice, offensive coordinator Joe Brady smiled when asked about Anderson’s feisty approach.
“I think the more years he goes by, he might realize you probably don’t need to fight every day,†Brady said, laughing. “But he doesn’t blink. It’s his personality. And it’s easier to tell a guy to back off than to bite. And I never have to worry about him biting.â€
The Bills had just completed their sixth day of training camp in suburban Rochester, New York. Temperatures were in the mid-80s.
The practice was one of the team’s longest of camp in going just over two hours. Players practiced in light pads and shorts a day after the team’s first full-padded session.
The Bills have a day off on Wednesday before resuming camp on Thursday.
