Best Story Emerging From Bills' Rookie Minicamp is Offensive Lineman With Strong Familial Ties to Organization

One of the best stories emerging from the Buffalo Bills’ rookie minicamp features the son of a legendary former player with a championship pedigree.

The late spring is typically a slow time of year for Bills players and coaches alike, with not many stories to dig into during what is a down period in the league’s media cycle. However, with Buffalo signing former UCLA and Duke offensive lineman Bruno Fina, a bit of excitement has been injected into the offseason proceedings at One Bills Dr.

Fina is the son of legendary Buffalo offensive lineman John Fina, who appeared in three Super Bowls with the Bills in 1993 [Super Bowl XXVII] and 1994 [Super Bowl XXVIII] throughout a 10-year Bills career. With his son singing with his former team, which has welcomed him back to lead the charge as a Legend of the Game since his retirement, John expressed his excitement to watch things play out.

“I think it’s the coolest story of camp,” posted John to X. “Proud as hell of this kid! #GetToWork.”

Big shoes to fill

Buffalo Bills offensive lineman John Fina (70) on the field prior to Super Bowl XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys at the Rose Bowl. The Cowboys defeated the Bills 52-17. | Manny Rubio-Imagn Images

Bruno also stopped to speak with Matt Parrino of Syracuse.com after his first practice with the team during minicamp. During their conversation, the UDFA offensive lineman said he isn’t sure if joining the same team his dad played for “will ever hit me."

“I’m trying to live in the moment as much as possible,” he said to Parrino. “Just do things I can right now.”

He added, “I think it’s the same thing that I was doing in college. It’s just trying to get a little bit better every day. I started from one place and ended up in another [in college]. Today is Day 1 of starting in one place, and I’m not planning on ending in the same place. So it’s one day at a time. Just do all the little things right.”

Bruno has some big shoes to fill as he steps into his father’s shadow within the organization. John played for a decade with the Bills, starting 131 games and earning an incredible track record of durability.

Another level

Bills fans hold up signs celebrating the team and the stadium during the first half of their game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. | Shawn Dowd/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bruno enjoyed a fruitful collegiate career across his two stops, including three seasons with the Bruins and two with the Blue Devils. He appeared in 39 games over his final three years at the collegiate level.

He was graded favorably by Pro Football Focus for his performance, which improved as the 2025 season wore on. Bruno finished the year with a pass-block grade of 64.8 and a run-block grade of 64.2 while playing 972 snaps at left tackle. He hasn’t displayed much positional versatility, but played a few snaps at center during his first collegiate campaign.

In joining the Bills, Bruno views it as a perfect fit.

“The best part, I think, is my dad had so many close friends here and my family, like my grandfather, before he moved to [Arizona], is from Rochester,” he said. “So I got friends, I got family, I got people I can go have a home-cooked meal with. So it feels like family away from family.”

As far as advice his father had for him, Bruno said it was short and sweet.

“Do the little things right,” he recalled of the conversation. “Go make that team.”

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