Football Players and Fans Rally Around Reiker Wignes

The opening Buffalo Football game started with crowds roaring in excitement, and football players racing around the field. The game had an electric atmosphere consisting of high anticipation for the Bison to win their first home game. No one could have predicted the dark turn the game would take for Cornerback Reiker Wignes ‘27. Moments before the halftime break Wignes was zooming in for a tackle on one of the Robbinsdale-Cooper wide receivers, when he planted his leg and another player came barreling into him, resulting in a broken femur. The crowd’s silence echoed at the sight of Wignes lying on the field. After what felt like an eternity for Wignes, he was greeted with thunderous applause from the crowd as he was lifted onto a stretcher.

Nonetheless, when it comes to the players on the field, there is an innate sense of brotherhood that lies beneath the chaos of football. That sense of brotherhood became apparent when Wignes received a blow to his leg, resulting in a broken femur. The Bison huddled around Wignes to hear him say, “Go win this game!” Though Wignes was fighting through excruciating pain, he felt obligated to push his team to continue competing and fighting for the win. As Wignes left the field, Buffalo players and fans raised their hands high, signing, “I love you” in American Sign Language.

At that moment, the narrative changed in the hearts of Bison Football players; the game became personal to them. They were now competing for their teammate Reiker Wignes. The intensity of the game picked up as Buffalo’s defense made a stop on Cooper’s offense after multiple drives. Buffalo kept the momentum rolling every play with Wignes in their mind. The motivation Wignes left with his team allowed Buffalo to finish with a 24-6 win over Cooper.

However, the brotherhood doesn’t end with the Bison’s win over the Cooper Hawks. The battle for Wignes is yet to come as he recovers from surgery and his broken femur.