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Amari Cooper on being warned about playing in front of Bills Mafia

Amari Cooper on being warned about playing in front of Bills Mafia

After a blockbuster midweek trade sent Amari Cooper to Buffalo, the star receiver pulled off a remarkable turnaround, hauling in four catches for 66 yards in the Bills’ 34-10 win over Tennessee on Sunday afternoon.

It’s only Cooper’s third game in front of the Bills Mafia in nearly a decade in the NFL, and playing for the home team has earned him new respect from upstate New York’s notoriously rowdy fan base.

“It’s very impressive, I mean the fans, it gives a good feel for the game,” Cooper told reporters after Sunday’s win. “…I’ve had the warning all week that the fans are very passionate.” I’ve been part of a lot of very passionate fan bases. I played for the Raiders, the Cowboys, the Browns, Alabama. But this one seems a little more exaggerated. I think that’s a good thing.

Despite playing in the NFL’s third-smallest metropolitan area, with just 1.2 million residents and a team that has struggled mightily in the 21st century – the Bills managed just two winning seasons between 2000 and 2016, both 9-7 – Buffalo held on its reputation for one of the most passionate fan bases in the league. And with the arrival of franchise quarterback Josh Allen, who sparked a renaissance on the gridiron in 2018, that passionate support has become a significant asset at Highmark Stadium.

Cooper scored a touchdown in his Bills debut Sunday afternoon (Photo: Tina MacIntyre-Yee, USA TODAY Sports)

However, Bill Mafia’s impact extends far beyond game days and has established a reputation for remarkable, collective charitable giving. Bills fans donated more than $1.4 million to the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo following the death of Allen’s grandmother in 2019, which led to the addition of the Patricia Allen Pediatric Recovery Wing to the facility, but they have also proven similarly altruistic to opposing players – fans donated nearly $500,000 to Blessings in a Backpack honoring Lamar Jackson after he had to leave a playoff game against Buffalo, and donated $415,000 to Andy in 2017 Dalton’s Charity.

Cooper also showed some love to the Cleveland fan base during his postgame interview, where the five-time Pro Bowler has played the past three seasons. But when the Browns went 1-5 with an anemic passing attack for six weeks, Buffalo picked up Cooper last week to hopefully spark a sixth straight playoff run and gave up just one draft pick in the third round to secure the star receiver.