As practice was ending on Friday, Terry Pegula went to the driver’s side of the SUV and helped his wife get out. He then took her hand and led her to the team gathered near the goal line. In being surrounded by players, she then counted down “three, two, one, Bills,” to break the huddle, left tackle Dion Dawkins said.
“We’ve seen her every day, and to see her progress, it’s amazing,” Dawkins said. “I’m proud of her. That’s still the Mama Bear.”
Coach Sean McDermott grew emotional in recounting the moment.
“Oh, man. How do you put that in words? Grateful and perspective, I think, are the two words that come to mind. And we can be here all day talking about the reasons for those two words,” McDermott said. “Extremely grateful for Terry and Kim. Grateful that she’s working through this. And, perspective is how precious every day is.”
Pegula’s recovery has been lengthy and extensive in regaining her motor skills and dealing with what the family described as significant language and memory issues
Serving as the Bills and Buffalo Sabres president before falling ill, Kim Pegula was the public face of both franchises owned by the couple.
