The Kentucky Bills will get the Hard Knocks Spotlight

Former Kentucky Wildcats Maxwell Hairston, Ray Davis, and Deone Walker, via the Buffalo Bills

It’s time to circle the wagons. The Buffalo Bills will take center stage ahead of the 2025 NFL season as the subject of this year’s Hard Knocks. The popular production underwent some unusual turbulence, and it should spend some time focusing on a few of your favorite Kentucky Wildcats.

The behind-the-scenes documentary debuted on HBO in 2001, highlighting the preseason prep in training camp with the Baltimore Ravens. This will be the fifth year of the in-season Hard Knocks, as HBO chronicles the four teams in the NFC East. They also rolled out an offseason edition of the New York Giants last year that caught so much backlash from their fans, I don’t know if we’ll ever see a team agree to that ever again.

That brings me to a very important point about this year’s training camp show. It doesn’t feel like football season until you hear Liev Schreiber narrate the spiral of a beautifully thrown pass at training camp. This year, nobody wanted that honor.

In 2013, the NFL created new rules around which team participated in the show. They could force cameras into training camp with three exceptions:

1. Teams with a first-year head coach
2. Teams that appeared on the show over the last 10 years
3. Teams who made the playoffs the previous season

Nobody stepped up to the plate this offseason, which is why for a time, it looked like Hard Knocks was taking its talents to the college level. NFL Films was reportedly going to follow Bill Belichick in his first season as the North Carolina head coach. We learned yesterday that the plug was pulled after his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, asked for creative control.

Without a clear choice, it appears the Bills volunteered to bring the cameras into their locker room for training camp. It will set the stage for the team’s final season in Orchard Park.

Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

Former Wildcats will Surely be Featured on Hard Knocks

Former Kentucky football players have been on rosters of teams that get the Hard Knocks treatment. Drew Franklin watched diligently and reported the seconds that Austin MacGinnis was on camera with the Rams.

A kicker rarely presents enticing storylines for the average NFL fan. These Kentucky Wildcats have a story worth telling.

Rookies are always a focal point of the production, particularly if they are on the fringe of the cut line. While that won’t be the case for Maxwell Hairston and Deone Walker, I’d bet good money that they make an appearance or two.

They are joining another former Cat in Buffalo, Ray Davis. The Kentucky storyline might not pass muster, but his story certainly will. There might not be a better feel-good story in the entire National Football League. At one point in his childhood, he was homeless, bouncing around the foster care system. Now he’s scoring touchdowns in playoff games. If Hard Knocks isn’t telling that story, the shark has officially been jumped.