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BILLS: Whitner, Evans ready for a homecoming
ORCHARD PARK — It would be an understatement to say Donte Whitner’s looked forward to playing Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns for a long time.
“Since I was born,” Whitner jokingly responded Wednesday when asked how long he’s had this game circled on his calendar. “I watched a lot of Browns football growing up in Cleveland. I’ve never really had the opportunity to play in Cleveland since I’ve been in high school.”
He’ll get that chance Sunday in front of the “Dawg Pound” and 70,000 passionate Browns fan — something Whitner was not that long ago.
“Coming from Cleveland, I know how bad the fans in Cleveland want to go to the playoffs,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to go down there. ... It’ll be fun. This is a big game for both of us.”
Whitner, who makes his offseason home in Cleveland, said Wednesday he’d already gotten about 65 requests for tickets. But that was before he had talked to his mother.
“I’m looking for about 100 ticket requests,” he said.
Whitner also hopes to ruin some afternoons in the process.
“What I want to do is I want to go back and win so that I can upset some of my family members,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity for me to go out there and talk a little smack for the rest of the year to everybody at Christmas time.”
Bills receiver Lee Evans is also from the Cleveland area. He said he has a few people coming to the game, but not as many as normal because the cold weather will scare some away.
“It’s a big game and this is the type of atmosphere that you want to be playing in late in December for a chance to go to the playoffs. It’ll be exciting,” Evans said.
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Former Bills tight end Brad Cieslak recently joined the Browns’ practice squad. Bills coach Dick Jauron doesn’t believe, however, that the move was a bit of gamesmanship on the Browns part.
“Brad’s a pretty good player and they may be in need of a tight end,” Jauron said. “He’s a guy that we liked a lot and we would consider and told him when he left here (to) stay in touch with us.”
Contact reporter Jay Skurski at 693-1000, ext. 117.
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