BY DAN BEGNOCHE
They say patience is a virtue. Waiting until mid-July to hook up with a team, however, can be downright nerve wracking.
Such was the case for the Buffalo Bills' newly acquired linebacker, Stevenson Sylvester. After three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, "Sly," as he likes to be called, was cut prior to the start of the 2013 season. He was brought back after only four weeks though and went on to appear in nine games, including the team's 23-10 victory against Buffalo.
But with free agency coming and going, and workouts with the Patriots and Ravens yielding no call-backs, the 26-year-old waited. And waited.
Lucky for him, he had a friend and former teammate that had gone through an eerily similar sequence of events.
"I know this happened for Doug Legursky last year," Sylvester told The John Murphy Show after being reunited with the one-time Steeler. "He's a really good friend of mine. He didn't get signed until July as well last year. Talking to him, just telling me to be patient and everything will work out."
Sly's forte with Pittsburgh was his contributions on special teams. That, combined with the depth he can now provide at linebacker, should make him a tough contender to oust when training camp gets under way Sunday.
With things finally in place, the former Utah star is excited to just get on the field and get going.
"I'm eager, man. I've been in the offseason just waiting for this opportunity," he said. "I'll be ready to go whenever to hit the ground running."
