Bills coach Sean McDermott: Apologized for 9/11 remarks in 2019

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Bills coach Sean McDermott: Apologized for 9/11 remarks in 2019​

Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott said Thursday that he regretted mentioning 9/11 in a 2019 training camp talk with his team and "immediately apologized" to his players. McDermott emphasized he made the comments "to discuss the importance of communication and being on the same page with the team." He said he "regretted mentioning 9/11 in my message that day and I immediately apologized to the team. Not only was 9/11 a horrific event in our country's history, but a day that I lost a good family friend." As first reported by Go Long, McDermott told players in a speech to come together and used the terrorists on 9/11 as an example, asking players in the room questions about how the attacks were executed and referencing the hijackers getting on the same page. Multiple players who were with the team at the time confirmed the story to ESPN, while others who were there told ESPN they did not recall it. Asked why he mentioned 9/11 and whether hijackers were specifically referenced as an example of a group coming together, McDermott said, "It was mentioning 9/11 in the context of the team meeting. The goal of the team meeting was the importance of communication and being on the same page as a team."

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Bills players, GM Brandon Beane support coach Sean McDermott​

Buffalo Bills players and general manager Brandon Beane offered their support for coach Sean McDermott on Friday, one day after the coach held a team meeting to address remarks referencing 9/11 that he made in training camp in 2019 and became public this week.

"I think Sean acknowledged that. I went into the team meeting yesterday, I think he talked to [the media] first, went into the team meeting and I thought it was very authentic. I thought the guys all saw that, felt that, and know Sean for who he is. I think you guys that have been around here some years know who Sean's character is. I'll stand by his character every day of the week."

McDermott, who held the meeting with the team late Thursday, described the past day by saying, "Definitely gets your mind spinning, right. Just being real. And it's been disappointing. It's been hurtful.

"Everyone is 100 percent behind Sean," Beane said. "... Everyone is truly focused; it's been a good week of practice. I know we've had a couple hiccups here that we've had to deal with off the field, but out there, you wouldn't know it. I was out there for every bit of that practice. And just to watch that and see it. The guys are going to rally. There's two things you can do. You can divide, or you can rally. And I expect this team to rally."

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