OMAHA, Neb. – Chris Kelsay had plenty of success in his football career. He made it to the semifinals of the Class C-1 state football playoffs twice while playing for Auburn in high school. He won a Big XII championship with Nebraska in 1999. He even played for a national championship in his junior season with the Huskers in 2001 before being drafted by the Bills.

Unfortunately, he did not experience the same team accomplishments while in Buffalo, despite an individually successful 10-year career as a longtime captain of the team.

“We never sniffed the playoffs,” Kelsay said.

That hasn’t tempered his excitement, however, as Kelsay watches his longtime NFL squad chase a trip to the Super Bowl. In fact, it’s only enhanced it.

“Just knowing the fanbase there and how important the Bills are to their community and just how much that organization’s been through…I’m super excited for them,” Kelsay said.

The Bills have made it to the Super Bowl four times in franchise history, but the team is still chasing its first championship, having lost four straight Super Bowls in the 90s.

“You’d think just by chance they would’ve won one of those,” Kelsay said.

The Bills then went through a 22-year playoff drought and a 25-year run without a playoff victory before rattling off two playoff wins this season.

He said the continued support from Buffalo fans, through ups and downs, reminds him of his days playing in his home state.

“When I was drafted by Buffalo, I wasn’t very familiar with the city,” Kelsay said. “I wasn’t even exactly sure where it was in the state of New York. When you hear of New York, you think of New York City. But when you go out to eat, everybody knows who you are. It’s not just a fan-player relationship. It’s almost like a friend relationship. They’re just so cordial. It reminds me a lot of Nebraska.”

Buffalo will have to go through defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City this weekend to get to the Super Bowl, and Kelsay and his wife, a Norfolk native, will be inside Arrowhead Stadium, just two hours from his childhood home in Auburn, to watch.

“Auburn was an awesome place to grow up and live,” Kelsay said. “Just a family orientation that is unlike any other. It was tough to beat, but going to Buffalo I was pleasantly surprised it was much of the same.”