“I chose not to break. I chose not to lie down.”

“I stay positive because I know my grandmother would have wanted me to stay positive,” he said. “After everything I’ve been through and not having her around for the last two years, there are only two paths: bend a little bit or break. I choose not to break. I choose not to bend.”

Hamler entered the NFL as an attractive slot receiver with explosive athleticism who could create a difference. After shining as a rookie, injuries kept his talent under wraps; he has 42 receptions for 620 yards and three touchdowns in 23 career games.

“The good thing about last year was I got to see things from a different perspective,” Hamler said. “Being on the practice squad, I wouldn’t say it was humbling, but it was a learning experience. I just tried to be helpful to the team without being on the field.”

He enters training camp in Buffalo with a slim chance of making the 53-man roster in the Bills’ revamped receivers room. Keon Coleman, Curtis Samuel, Khalil Shakir, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Mack Hollins and Chase Claypool currently lead the roster. Hamler, Justin Shorter, Andy Isabella, Tyrell Shavers, Bryan Thompson and Lawrence Keys are battling for roster spots.

“I want to be a playmaker,” he said. “I want to be the guy they look to on third downs and also on comebacks. I’m here to do whatever I can to be a spark for the team.”