Thurman Thomas
Carhartt
Thurman Thomas poses on the site of the new Buffalo Bills stadium.
Buffalo Bills running back Thurman Thomas was the architect of some memorable performances at the team’s stadium in Orchard Park, and now he’s helping build the home where new memories will be made.
Thomas and his wife Patti own a construction company in Buffalo called 34 Group, which has been contracted to work on the new Highmark Stadium being built in the shadow of the team’s current stadium. The new stadium is set to open with the start of the 2026 season, but Thomas this week gave fans a glimpse of the work going into it through a partnership with the workwear brand Carhartt.
In an exclusive interview with Heavy Sports, Thomas spoke about the importance of this work and the emotions he feels as the stadium where he played for 12 seasons turns off the lights for the last time.
Thurman Thomas Praises Buffalo’s ‘Unsung Heroes’
Thomas pivoted to a new line of work after his playing career ended, starting his construction firm in Buffalo in 2014. The firm had been involved in some local projects, including work on the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and others across the state, like a renovation in Rochester’s Frontier Field.
The work 34 Group is doing on the new Highmark Stadium got big attention this week. The Bills announced a partnership with Carhartt that included a short film titled “Making The Stadium Possible,” which pays tribute to the skilled tradespeople building the team’s new home.
Thomas said he was excited to partner with Carhartt to tell the story of these “unsung heroes.” He noted that the company has made some big investments in Buffalo as well, including $300,000 to help young people pursue careers in the trades.
The former Bills running back also said it was an honor to be part of the biggest construction project in Western New York history.
“Nothing like this has ever been built in Buffalo,” he said. “This is not Los Angeles, not Florida or Texas, this is Buffalo.”
The video shows some of the work 34 Group is doing in the new stadium, including installing the nearly 60,000 seats — all by hand. In the video, construction workers recall their own memories of the stadium that has gone by many names — Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium — before its current iteration.
“It’s the unsung hero that we don’t talk about that put these things together, those are the true heroes,” Thomas said.
Sharing Memories With Bills Greats
Thomas said his work on the new home for the Bills has brought back a flood of memories. Thomas said he visits the new construction site often, thinking about where on the field he caught a touchdown or the yard marker where kicker Steve Christie put the finishing touches on the greatest comeback in NFL history.
Thomas said he has a group chat with some of his former teammates, Bills greats like Jim Kelly, Bruce Smith, Darryl Talley and Will Wolford, among many others. He said they have been sharing memories of their playing days, and expects many to make a final visit to the stadium this year.
“Everytime I go in there it’s always memories, and now those memories are really going to be flooding because it’s the last year,” Thomas said. “You’re probably going to see more former Bills players around on game day than ever before because it’s the last year.”
Thomas also recalled his two favorite memories from the stadium. One of them came after his playing days ended, when new owners Terry and Kim Pegula retired his jersey. Thomas said he was especially touched since he had played under the NFL legend and founding owner, Ralph Wilson.
His other favorite memory is likely one shared by a majority Bills fans over the age of 40. Thomas noted that after the team won back-to-back AFL championships in the 1960s, the memorable franchise moments were few and far between. The Bills won just one division title before he joined the team in 1988, and were known more for going winless against the Miami Dolphins for the entire decade of the 1970s than any successes on the field.
That came to an end on Jan. 20, 1991, when the Bills hosted the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship game. The Bills had reached the conference championship in 1988 and lost, but left no doubt in their next attempt to reach the Super Bowl.
The Bills took a 41-3 lead into halftime and cruised to a 51-3 win. Thomas recalled the rush of emotions that he could see from the sidelines.
“When that was over just looking at the stands, people were excited but they were crying because everything was so lifted,” Thomas said. “That was probably the game that I really like because it shows emotion of what the Bills fans hadn’t had since those 60s teams.”
Though fans didn’t get to see a Super Bowl win that year, Thomas said he believes the final year of the stadium will see the team finally break through.