Kim Pegula at Bills practice after cardiac arrest

Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNJul 26, 2024, 02:13 PM ET
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PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Kim Pegula walked onto the field, with the help of her husband and Buffalo Bills owner, Terry Pegula, at the end of the third training camp practice, and helped break down the team huddle, marking her first such public appearance since suffering cardiac arrest in June 2022.

As practice came to a wrap, the team transitioned into its typical stretching period, but moved to one end zone of the field, unlike the typical midfield stretch. Terry Pegula then guided his wife to the field where the team gathered around her. Quarterback Josh Allen stepped into the middle, next to coach Sean McDermott. Allen put his arm on Kim Pegula, and she raised her hand in the air as Allen said, “Bills on three.1, 2, 3, Bills!”

What a special moment. ❤️💙#BillsCamp | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/PN5ECPZ268

— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) July 26, 2024

For the team’s first three practices, Pegula has watched from the passenger seat of a car near the field, as she did at times last training camp.

“She’s been here. We’ve seen her every day, and to see her progress, it’s amazing, and for her to even get on the count of 3, 2, 1 Bills, like for her to do it, it’s insane,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “So, I’m proud of her. That’s still the mama bear, and we’re happy to have her still.”

The Pegula’s daughter, Jessica, wrote in an essay for The Players’ Tribune in February 2023 that her mother was “dealing with significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues” from a brain injury. She wrote how her sister, Kelly, saved their mom’s life by performing CPR.

Before her health issues, Kim Pegula was the first woman to be president of both an NFL and NHL team and had an active role on a variety of committees with both leagues. Terry Pegula has since taken over as president of both the Bills and Sabres.

“Obviously, some tough times for the entire Pegula family dealing with that. We love seeing her out here,” Allen said. “She gave so much energy and effort, obviously when she was a couple years ago, obviously before the incident and everything. So, it’s the least that we can do is rally around here and we’ve been praying for her every day here. Glad to see her back on the field, and I know that a lot of the new guys don’t understand, obviously the impact that she had on a lot of guys here, like myself. So, we’re just happy to see her out there.”