Buffalo Bills NFL Kuwait Connection

The Buffalo Bills last Pre-Season Game turned outSaddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. His family assets
to have a special twist to it. Gibran Hamdan wentand house were destroyed in the invasion. Family
18 for 26 with 158 yards in a Bills 14-6 loss. Heand friends were scattered.
also had two carries for 26 yards. I thought heThe family stayed in San Diego and encouraged
looked like an NFL ready quarterback with a quicktheir sons to be Americans. Gibran's outlook about
release and coolness under fire. Sure, it was onlythe war has a special insight - an open minded
pre-season and when the real heat turns on heinsight to the culture and the goodness in all
may need a little more seasoning. The real footballpeople.
story on Hamdan may come in the future andPlaying with Antwaan Randle-El at Indiana he was
today's story may be a highlight of the Americandrafted by the Redskins in 2003. He wound up in
Dream.NFL Europe after a few brief NFL stops. One
In this day of war and prejudice, it's hard toseason he led the league passing for Amsterdam.
believe the NFL has a story like Gibran Hamdan.After a stop with the Dolphins, Hamdan is now
His father is a Palestinian and returned close to hiswith Buffalo.
home in 1984 as he took a job in Kuwait. HisHamdan's parents still live in the Washington, D.C.,
mother is from Pakistan. So, at 3 years old Gibranarea, where growing up in North Potomac,
moved from San Diego to Kuwait. As he grew upMaryland, and attended Bishop O'Connell High
there he played sports with other Americans. AtSchool. His father works for the Nuclear
9 years old, and on vacation back in San Diego,Regulatory Commission as a Nuclear Engineer.