ORCHARD PARK — Ben VanSumeren can see the play in his mind. The picture has 8K clarity.
But his brain rarely flips to that channel.
It was the first play of the NFL season — literally. VanSumeren was covering the opening kickoff for the Philadelphia Eagles . He was engaged by Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau when the returner came barreling in his direction.
VanSumeren saw the play unfold and attempted to shuck Liufau's block. As VanSumeren planted his foot, his right leg buckled, sending him to the turf clutching his right knee in agony.
It was a season-ending torn patellar tendon. For the second consecutive season, Van Sumeren's year was cut short with a torn ACL.
That night was supposed to be special. The Eagles were honored after winning the previous year's Super Bowl. And VanSumeren had signed a one-year, $1.03 million extension during the offseason with plans for him to be a significant part of the offense for the first time in his career.
Ten months later, VanSumeren is gearing up for another chance, this time with the Buffalo Bills in an attempt to fill their fullback vacancy left by Reggie Gilliam 's departure to the New England Patriots during free agency.
"You have this expectation of how you're going to be involved on the football team and help them win," VanSumeren told GNN Sports. "And I was happy with where I was at. I was primed and ready for a breakout. And it just sucks that it feels like it was stripped away from play."
Injuries aside, VanSumeren's first three NFL seasons have hardly been normal. Growing up in Bay City, Michigan, just upriver from Saginaw, VanSumeren played linebacker, defensive line, quarterback, running back and wide receiver.
As a senior at Garber High School, he caught 81 passes for 1, 259 yards and 13 touchdowns. After flipping his commitment from Iowa to Michigan, VanSumeren started his career with the Wolverines at fullback. A redshirt year later, he was moved to running back and appeared in five games.
Michigan moved him to linebacker in 2020, and after having just seven tackles in six games, VanSumeren transferred to Michigan State. He played in all 13 games in 2021, but made just 12 tackles.
VanSumeren initially entered the transfer portal again, but returned to the Spartans and started 10 games, making 81 tackles. After going undrafted, he latched on with the Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2023.
He was assigned to the practice squad after training camp, but received three gameday call-ups and was eventually signed to the active roster Nov. 30, making six tackles in 36 snaps in a Christmas game against the New York Giants .
And then something unusual happened.
VanSumeren made an interception during a 2024 training camp practice and reeled off an impressive return. The Eagles told him they were only going to carry two tight ends during the regular season and wanted him to learn some packages.
One day he came into the locker room for practice and there was a complete fullback playbook in his locker. He was officially a fullback, going from blowing up holes to blowing them open.
He only saw 22 offensive snaps in 2024, but it made a big enough impression for the Eagles to extend him with a pay raise.
"It was a good way to get me on the field on the offensive side," VanSumeren said. "I ran with it. I was really comfortable with it, played offense my whole life growing up so it wasn't anything that was foreign to me. I've really enjoyed it and it's where my skill set aligns."
VanSumeren's skill set is explosive. He's 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds — up 20 since the 2023 NFL scouting combine — and possesses a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, a 42 ½-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot, 11-inch broad jump. He also bench-pressed 225 pounds 29 times at the combine.
In short: VanSumeren is a freak.
And how the Bills use him might be a bit different than Philadelphia's vision. With the Eagles, the fullback went to the running back meeting room and position coach during individual practice drills. The Bills pair fullbacks with tight ends.
Gilliam spent the 2 ½ seasons with Joe Brady as play-caller in the backfield on 53% of his 421 offensive snaps. But the number jumped to 62% last season as Gilliam played a career-high 235 snaps.
Brady also hasn't committed to keeping a fullback on the roster, despite using one at one of the highest rates in the league last year. But despite having a stable of tight ends, the Bills ranked near the bottom of the NFL in two-tight end sets (27th) and in the middle in three-tight end sets (17th) as heavy personnel is growing more popular to overwhelm smaller defenses.
None of Buffalo's tight ends have played fullback extensively, nor one that seems to fit the skill set.
"You don't ever want to have a fullback just to have a fullback," Brady said. "... The goal posts are going to move a little bit as we get pads on and get some team run periods and see what these guys can and cannot do. … Put a lot of stress on them and see what they can handle. But it does clean up looks, it puts a lot on defenses to have to prepare for, so I think there's value to it."
VanSumeren still has a battle if the Bills intend to carry a fullback after the team added undrafted free agent Jackson Acker from Wisconsin. The one advantage VanSumeren has is his versatility, not just as an athlete.
The Bills covet players who can play multiple positions and VanSumeren's linebacker background would put him on every special teams unit. VanSumeren could even give them roster flexibility, knowing VanSumeren can play linebacker in an emergency.
"Every day and every year, I feel like you've got to prove yourself," VanSumeren said. "This isn't anything that's foreign to me or different. I really approach every training camp and everything the same. I really do. I try to prove myself every single day."
