Signs, Seats And Turf: Bills Fans Grab Pieces Of Legendary Stadium Before Demolition

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — It’s not each time that NFL play summons holders tin beryllium successful their seats — successful their backyards.

But nan demolition of Highmark Stadium successful Orchard Park aft a historical and drama-filled 53 years has afforded Buffalo Bills fans nan uncommon opportunity to bargain existent pieces of nan venue wherever they’ve laughed, cried and endured stiff fingers for generations.

“This is for illustration nary different stadium aliases metropolis I’ve ever dealt pinch wherever nan committedness is truthful precocious and nan intent is really there,” Brandon Steiner, nan collectibles guru tapped to waste parts of 1 of nan NFL’s astir legendary stadiums, told NBC News. “The authenticity is really there.”

Fans tin acquisition thing from seats and conception signs to chunks of turf — and yes, moreover nan troughs successful nan bathrooms.

Pretty overmuch anything, Steiner says, is for sale.

Brandon Steiner is successful complaint of taking down and trading items from Highmark Stadium. Sam Siegel / NBC News

“This is 1 of nan much typical buildings, without a doubt,” Steiner said. “I put [Highmark] up location pinch Yankee Stadium. The level of intensity, really nan history and nan passion that fans have.”

Construction workers return isolated parts of Highmark Stadium. Sam Siegel / NBC News

Steiner would know. He’s nan personification who oversaw nan demolition and waste of parts of nan aged Yankee Stadium and Texas Stadium, arsenic good arsenic memorabilia from Madison Square Garden’s renewal and a big of different famed spaces successful sports.

For members of nan “Bills Mafia,” arsenic they’re affectionately known, it’s a aureate opportunity to seizure memories held for astir of their big lives and return them location pinch them.

“I would for illustration my spot conscionable to look backmost connected things and say, ‘This is wherever I sat for 25 years,’” longtime instrumentality Rich Peterson said pinch a smile. “I want to put it successful my backyard and beryllium capable to look backmost and say, ‘Yeah, Buffalo Bills, Bills Mafia!”

Longtime play summons holders Rich Peterson and Derrick Norman.Sam Siegel / NBC News

Peterson, a retired transit worker, and his adjacent friend Derrick Norman, a retired firefighter, person been play summons holders for 25 years. They’re known arsenic “The Chefs” astir Highmark Stadium, wherever they beryllium together successful nan first statement down nan extremity zone.

“Right wherever nan missive ‘S’ is,” Peterson said.

Norman said he was excited to walk his spot down to his children and grandchildren.

“I deliberation they’ll for illustration it,” he said. “They’ll look backmost and say, ‘Yeah, my granddad utilized to beryllium successful this seat!’”

Jerry Young — besides a 25-year play summons holder, who turns location buses into makeshift tailgate sites connected crippled time — has already purchased six seats astatine a costs of $300 apiece and plans to adhd much items to his statement bus.

“I’m going to get immoderate cup holders connected nan caller bus,” Young said. “It conscionable would punctual maine of nan past and friends and family coming to games and being portion of this full thing.”

Jerry Young, a 25-year play summons holder of nan Buffalo Bills.Sam Siegel / NBC News

A fewer miles from nan epicenter of each that shot history, 2 Bills legends, Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, are seated successful a ample storage taking turns signing nan backs of seats successful superb Sharpie silver.

Their numbers are retired by nan organization, and some still unrecorded successful nan Buffalo area, wherever their gridiron legacies were fashioned, excited for nan adjacent section successful Bills football. But they are besides alert of nan value of closing a venue that meant truthful overmuch to truthful galore people.

“The memories conscionable support coming back, and each bully memories,” Kelly said. “Especially correct present successful Buffalo and knowing that nan group that went time successful and time retired ... that went to nan stadium, sat successful these chairs, and nan memories that they have.”

Bills fable Jim Kelly signed seats for fans.Sam Siegel / NBC News

Thomas — for illustration Kelly a Pro Football Hall of Famer who appeared successful 4 consecutive Super Bowls for nan Bills — said there’s a typical relationship betwixt Bills fans that is being rewarded pinch nan expertise to ain uncommon stadium memorabilia.

“If you’re raised present successful Buffalo, you’re going to beryllium a Buffalo Bills fan, and you’re going to astir apt return complete nan tickets that your mom and dada near you. So it’s a typical place,” Thomas said. “The group that are Bills fans, there’s capable to spell astir for everybody. ... They conscionable emotion their city, man, and emotion their teams.”

Seats extracurricular nan stadium.Sam Siegel / NBC News