The Jills at Jr Bills Backers Day at Training Camp

When it comes to training camp, the Bills PR department has fallen behind the rest of the league where their cheerleaders are concerned the last few years. Whereas the Jills were requested at every practice in the past, they've only been at a few practices each year more recently, which deprives the fans of getting to meet the beautiful young ladies who they'll see on the sidelines of Ralph Wilson Stadium this fall. Saturday, however, was one of the days the Jills were in full force. One day for training camp, the Bills host a Jr Bills Backers day, giving the next generation of Bills fans a bit of a VIP treatment at training camp complete with special autograph sessions and appearances by the Buffalo Jills.

Jill, Sara J, Christina, Gina

On hand to greet the next generation of fans at the start of camp were Christina, Jill, Gina, and Sara J. While a lot of little boys and girls got photos and autographs from the girls, a lot more were pretty shy. 10 years from now, those shy little boys will be kicking themselves for not getting a hug from a Pro Bowl cheerleader like Christina or an outstanding gymnast like Jill.

Jaclyn, Stefanie, Jill, Danielle

The Bills cut practice short after some live hitting action to get ready for the Bills' 1st preseason game in Washington. On the field to help with the special autograph session were Jill, who took in a bit of practice with her proud father, Stefanie, Jaclyn, and Danielle. With the shortened practice, the autograph session didn't seem to last that long after Stefanie, Jaclyn, and Danielle got there, so they came up into the seating area at St John Fisher's Growney Stadium to pose for more photos and sign some more autographs.

Check out the pics of our 7 beauties at http://s15.photobucket.com/albums/a375/buffalojills2005/2010/Camp/

Amelina (2008)

My day didn't end with camp itself though. Rochester is not only the home for many of the Jills, but a number of Jills alumni as well. Running this site for many years, I've developed friendships with many of the girls I've covered and they usually extend past their careers on the sidelines. In 2008, the Buffalo Jills fans were introduced by a little dancing dynamo by the name of Amelina, the only girl that's actually been shorter on the Jills than 4th year vet Angelina. But they say big things come in small packages and Amelina's dance ability and personality are testaments to that statement. Since she departed the squad, she's become a certified personal fitness trainer and is currently working on starting up her own dance company, recruiting dancers from across Western NY to perform across the region. She'll be launching a website for the dance company soon so stay tuned for news on that.

Next up for the Jills, other than an occasional appearance at Bills camp in Pittsford the next few weeks, some will be appearing at the Napa Auto Parts Grand Opening on Southwestern Blvd in Orchard Park on Saturday. Go to http://www.wnytire.com/thenapastore.htm for details

Also, the Bills start their preseason schedule with a game in Landover, MD at FedEx Field to face off against the Washington Redskins. Their first home game isn't until August 28th but the Jills will join the Bills in Toronto for a game hosting Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts on August 19th. The Toronto Jr Jills program didn't get enough registered to run it but the Jills still have something special cooked up for the game. Think back to last year's Hall of Fame game when the Jills and Titans cheerleaders performed together.

August 20th, some of the Jills will be on hand for the Blondes Vs Brunettes Kickoff party at SoHo on Chippewa Street in Buffalo. Admission is $20 and there will be food, drinks, and raffles as well as appearances by some of the Jills and you can also meet the players for the Sept 18th game. Four of the players also happen to be Jills alumni as well. Check out the info at http://www.bvbbuffalo.com/mission.html