Update! Because of dangerous weather conditions in New York the Buffalo Bills game has been rescheduled to Monday at 4:30p.m. ET and will be televised by CBS.
Ben Wade has confirmed that he is still scheduled to be performing at Monday’s game.
By Jeremy Couso
When the Buffalo Bills take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in their wildcard playoff game this weekend they will have a secret weapon in their playbook, almost guaranteed to bring a win! That secret weapon? The trumpet of Ben Wade.
He’s been a lot of things – soccer coach, reality television star, teacher, award winning musician – but how did he and his trumpet become a crucial cornerstone in the Bills’ Superbowl hopes? It started with some simple posts on social media.
A little while back Wade, a long-time fan of the Bills, posted a trumpet version of the team’s Shout song, which is based on the old Isley Brothers tune, and that Sunday the team won. He posted another video to Instagram the following week, and the Bills won again.
The posts caught the attention of the Bills’ Public Relations office, who began an online relationship with Wade, sending loads of Bills swag each week while Wade continued to upload musical videos – and the team continued to win.
“I did it for fun until it got real,” explains Wade. “Now it’s real fun.”
The streak? 14 videos posted and 14 Bills’ wins. Pretty impressive! You can check them all out at Wade’s Instagram page.
Not only did the NFL team’s front office take notice, but plenty of fans from the Bills’ Mafia began following Wade as his streak became known.
So, this Sunday, as the Bills prepare to do battle at Highmark Stadium, Wade will be on the field playing the National Anthem and later, at halftime, the team plans to bring him out to pump up the crowd with a trumpet rendition of We Will Rock You.
It’s a big game, with an AFC wild card berth at stake, and there is a lot of pressure on Wade. Does he feel any anxiety with so much riding on his streak?
“I feel an exorbitant amount of pressure,” says Wade, adding that, “with that being said, they will win.”
And what if the team goes all the way? Will they take their lucky charm to Super Bowl LVIII in Vegas?
“I think no matter what they will bring me back for another game, and maybe I’ll be on the sideline for the Super Bowl.”
The game kicks off with Wade’s National Anthem performance Sunday at 10:00a.m. on CBS, Fubo, NFL+, Paramount+ and YouTube TV.
