ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Through two days of Bills training camp at St. John Fisher, one thing stands about second round pick O’Cyrus Torrence — the powerful guard out of the University of Florida is a massive human being.
In fact, at nearly 350 pounds, he’s by far the heaviest player on the Bills. But what if I told you he was even bigger as an 8th grader?
“I weighed 425 pounds,” said Torrence.
The Bills rookie guard said one of the main reasons for his weight were due to a few injuries he suffered as a kid. The setbacks didn’t allow him to workout or exercise thus putting on weight.
Torrence added he comes from a big family so he didn’t think much of his large frame and stature.
“My brother and my cousins were big,” said Torrence. “Even though I was the biggest, it didn’t seem abnormal to me until I went to high school because I saw big people everyday.”
That’s when he began playing football. But it was for one reason — to help him lose weight. Nothing more, nothing less.
“My goal honestly was to go out there for a few weeks and coach is going to say he doesn’t want it,” said Torrence. “He’s too big. I was going to try my best but I didn’t feel like I was going to be good because I was so big. I didn’t know my best was going to get me here.”
Torrence ended up loving football due to the tough moments that come with the game. But it was a love/hate relationship. He was still unsatisfied with his weight and he wanted to quit.
“I look at myself everyday so I didn’t necessarily see a change until I started hearing it from other people,” said Torrence. “That kept me motivated whether they knew it or not. Just hearing of you’re losing weight or small things like that kind of helped me.”
Things began to turn for Torrence when college coaches started recruiting him late in his sophomore year. But it was one conversation with his high school coach that made everything click.
“I sat down with my high school coach he told me one day I could be a millionaire if I just stick with football,” said Torrence “At that moment I said I’m going to trust you and give this game everything that I got.”
The University of Florida product was born and raised in Greensburg, Louisiana. According to the United States census, the small Southern town had a population of 639 in 2021.
“You don’t see many people from there coming to where I am now,” said Torrence. “The support I get from them is great and it helps me keep going.”
Torrence lived in a trailer with his mother, grandmother, and three siblings during his childhood. He never really thought much of his living conditions until he went away to college.
“I had to duck down to get into the trailer,” said Torrence. “My shoulders were touching both sides of the hallways. It definitely humbled me and made me grateful for the things to come.”
From a small town in Louisiana to sharing a locker room with players he grew up watching like Von Miller. Torrence said he was nervous being around the future hall of famer at first.
But then he realized Miller’s just one of the guys.
“It’s a crazy feeling knowing where I come from,” said Torrence. “He’s just like you and I.”
