Harrison Phillips' letter to Buffalo: ‘This isn’t a goodbye’

A two-time Bills nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips signed with the Minnesota Vikings last week after four seasons in Buffalo.

I've lived by blind faith my whole life, even when I feel uncertain. And God's always called me to where I'm supposed to be, or where his will is calling me.

Last week, when we were getting closer to the wire, and it looked as if I wasn't going to get a deal done before free agency to sign back in Buffalo, all I was praying for is that God would lead me exactly to where I'm supposed to be. I’m leaning on that faith now, as I balance excitement for my next chapter with deep appreciation for my time in Western New York.

Even though I'm headed to Minnesota, I remain excited for what’s still to grow through my foundation, Harrison’s Playmakers, in Buffalo. Sometimes when I think about my foundation, I think about legacy, which, often, is like planting seeds in a garden that you never get to see. You build that legacy, knowing you might not witness it. But I’m lucky enough that I'm still going to see most of this, because I can't reiterate enough that I will be a part of Harrison's Playmakers in Western New York for a very long time.

On Tuesday, I have an event at the Eastern Hills Mall, partnered with Duff's, and I'm coming back to Buffalo for that. I have my sports camp this summer, hopefully in Highmark Stadium. I'll be there, and my former teammates will be there.

The calling to Buffalo was just blissful. I was 100,000% supposed to be in Buffalo these last four years. It’s where God wanted me to be. It’s where God called me to make an impact, and it’s where God led me to friends I’ll have for the rest of my life. And right now, God is calling me to go to Minneapolis. I am anxious. I'm excited. I'm nervous, but I know that it's the right place for me.

There was a point through free agency when the Bills had already agreed to terms with a defensive tackle or two, and it was clear that they kind of found their guys. And at the same time, there was a good group of other organizations that were talking to my agents and sending out really respectable offers. I didn't chase money by any means. There were other contracts out there that you might say that were “better” than the one I accepted. But the situation and hearing how much the Vikings general manager and head coach valued me as a person and as a player, and getting there in person, really cemented that.

At first, my heart was broken. I cried when I found out that I wasn't going to be back in Buffalo. But it quickly transitioned to all eyes and all my focus towards Minnesota. And when I got there, all my hopes were affirmed and proven right with how well they value me there.

I'm so excited to be a part of that, and I hope that my Playmakers, my fans and my friends that I've made in Western New York can now cheer for the Vikings 16 of the 17 games this year.

Because of the amazing ties I have to Western New York, I’ve had a lot of fans who've reached out and said how much they'll miss me, even saying their kids were crying when they found out I wasn't going to be back. But again, even though I won't be there in the fall, I'll still be around in Western New York. This is a great step for me and my family.

I want to reiterate to all the families that I've ever met, the people at Oishei Children's Hospital, Bornhava, HighPointe, Special Olympics, Unified Sports, all of my playmakers in Western New York, that I'm still here, and I'm still friends of yours. You're still a playmaker forever. I'm gonna still put out challenges to you guys. This is not ending just because I’m leaving.

My foundation has never been just a platform for me to feel good about myself for doing things with the community. I’ve never looked at it as something where I just show up to an event and wait for some other sponsors to do some things.

This has been my life.

If I wasn't a football player, there's a good chance that I would work in the nonprofit world, because it's such a big passion of mine, especially with the population that I work with: children and young adults with developmental differences or special needs. So when I found out I would be leaving, it was literally like, “Hey, you're moving 15 hours, 16 hours across the country, away from 300 family members.”

That's really what it felt like: All my family is going to get to be together in Western New York, and I’m going to be the black sheep that leaves my whole family. That's what my playmakers are to me: my family.

I've already started calling the appropriate people to start a chapter of Harrison’s Playmakers in Minnesota. I’ve had help: A couple of Buffalo fans have reached out to me, even if they're not affiliated with my organization. Bills fans have sent me and my family messages, saying, "Hey, my brother-in-law is a special education teacher in Minneapolis," or "My aunt has kids with special needs in Minnesota, and they want to become playmakers." So the fans in Buffalo are excited for the impact I can make in another NFL city, which goes to show how special Bills fans are. That they want Minnesota to have those same benefits that Buffalo fans saw.

My biggest question to all of you: Does anyone know if Illio DiPalo's, if Bar-Bill, if Rachel's all deliver to Minneapolis? If so, please let me know who I need to contact, because I'm really gonna miss them.

And one of the hardest things to swallow is the fact that I won't be in the same locker room with my same teammates this year. I've never, ever been a part of a team with such all-class guys.

I've never had a better teammate and better friend than Josh Allen. He was the first person I called after it happened. I went upstairs, told my parents, and then I went downstairs and FaceTimed Josh. We’ll have love for each other for the rest of our lives.

And, obviously, FaceTime makes staying in touch easier. But my friendship with him goes so much deeper. And because we’re such good friends, I'm hoping that he goes ahead and lets me get a sack this season. I hope he lets me take him down. Or, at the very least, I hope that he doesn't juke me out of my shoes this season when I have to try to chase him down.

I'm thankful that I went to Stanford, because I'll be able to calculate how many miles I need to leave on my car in order to come back to get my oil changed at West Herr. I also want to thank OSC Manufacturing, and I'm hoping that they can somehow get out to Minnesota to help build my new house.

I'm so thankful for all the things that Western New York taught me. How to eat chicken wings in about 15 different ways. How blue cheese is better than ranch. To Jim Kelly and David Kern, for showing me how to snowmobile and hunt in Western New York, and for the countless trips to Orange Theory together. I’m even grateful for the times that 60-year-old Jim and David would beat me in class by getting more Splat Points and rub it in my face, even if I was coming off a Patriots game and extremely sore.

I want to say a big “you're welcome” to all of my favorite golf courses in Western New York. To Orchard Park Country Club, Briarwood and Crag Burn: You're welcome for not causing more divots, hitting more cars and driving the cart where the cart shouldn't be. Your courses will be in better shape now that I'm gone.

It's been an unbelievable last four years, and I can't wait to get back to visit. This isn't a goodbye, Western New York. This is a see you later.