A new report has revealed that during a 2021 training camp pep talk, Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott used the 9/ll hijackers as an example of impressive teamwork.
Over his first seven seasons as the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Sean McDermott has been a key element of the team’s resurgence to once again being a top team in the AFC. However, the 2023 season has been a difficult one for him as his high-powered offense has disappointed — leading to the firing of his offensive coordinator — and he has dealt with some major injuries on defense.
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However, his season may have hit a new low point following the release of the first installment of a three-part series on the coach from Tyler Dunne of GoLongTD.com. In part one of the expose, a worrisome story comes to life about an unusual example McDermott used during a conversation with players about teamwork at training camp in 2021.
Sean McDermott made shocking comment about 9/11 hijackers during Buffalo Bills camp in 2021
“At St. John Fisher College in Pittsford, N.Y., McDermott’s morning address began innocently enough,” Dunne wrote. “He told the entire team they needed to come together. But then, sources on hand say, he used a strange model: The terrorists on Sept. 11, 2001. He cited the hijackers as a group of people who were all able to get on the same page to orchestrate attacks to perfection.
“One by one, McDermott started asking specific players in the room questions. ‘What tactics do you think they used to come together?’ A young player tried to methodically answer. ‘What do you think their biggest obstacle was?’ A veteran answered, ‘TSA,’ which mercifully lightened the mood.”
Multiple players and coaches confirmed the incident to Dunne, and one unnamed member of the roster claimed the moment was just another example of the poor social skills McDermott has had during his time in Buffalo.
“I don’t know why he’s that awkward but his social skills are lacking,” the player said. “Maybe he’s just wound up thinking about [football]. You’ve got to talk to the team every day. That’s one where maybe he heard it on a podcast. That’s not the one to lead with. He was trying to bring the team together. It was a horrible, horrible reference. He missed the mark.”
Following the release of the story, the Buffalo Bills head coach spoke with local media and admitted he immediately regretted the example and apologized to his players soon after.
“My intent in the meeting that day was to discuss the importance of communication,” he said. “… I regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day, and I immediately apologized to the team.”
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Buffalo News reporter Katherine Fitzgerald also revealed that the coach said “he plans on meeting with the team today to make sure ‘we’re all on the same page, and even guys who weren’t here understand.'”
The Buffalo Bills return to action on Sunday in a massive game with huge playoff implications against the Kansas City Chiefs at 4:25 PM ET on CBS.