Andy Isabella’s always been the little guy.

“You have a little edge because everyone looks at you and pushes you to the side sometimes,” Isabella said. “But at the end of the day, it’s like if you put your best foot forward and you know you want to do something, you go get it no matter what. No matter how big you are.”

Which is what the 5’9” Isabella did his senior year of high school.

He felt lost after football season with Air Force, his only Division I scholarship offer, and a few others from FCS schools, none of which he wanted.

That’s when Isabella’s best foot forward was his fastest, setting the Ohio state indoor track record in the 60 meter dash, earning an offer from UMass just two days from national signing day.

“I decided to do something that put me in a kind of miracle territory for something to happen,” he said.

Isabella ran with that opportunity as well, rounding out his UMass career by leading all of college football with 1,698 receiving yards and 2^nd in the nation with 102 receptions.

That earned him consensus All-American honors.

Then Isabella’s speed helped separate him again, running a 4.31 second 40 yard dash at the 2019 NFL Combine, 3^rd fastest of any player who ran in Indianapolis that year.

He was drafted in the 2^nd round by the Arizona Cardinals, but only produced 33 catches for 447 yards and 3 touchdowns in 39 games over 3+ seasons before being waived.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure, and I think it overwhelmed me a little because I was always used to being that guy that was the underdog,” Isabella admitted. “So it kind of conflicted with my self-image of myself. Of who I thought I had to be and always had to prove myself. So I went in there always trying to prove myself and beat myself up a lot. Over time, I grew a lot through all the struggles. Being a 2^nd round pick and the challenges I had in Arizona. But I’m happy for them and I’m happy for who I was to overcome that. I’m in a good spot right now mentally, physically and emotionally, where I’m ready to go make a name for myself this year and put it all out there.”

Isabella was signed to the Ravens practice squad and was active for two games last season, but was on the field for just 14 total snaps.

Baltimore released him July 25, but Isabella still carries with him one part of his time with the team: the work he did and continues with their mental coach.

“I always start off with a morning routine,” Isabella said. “I do about 10 minutes of intense breathing. Then I do about 10 minutes of Bible study. That gets me going right away. And then drink a lot of water to start the day. Then I start the day right there. But that 20 minutes to start the day kind of sets the tone for the rest of the day… Then at the end of the night I’m doing about another 20 minutes of meditation where I’m reflecting on what I did throughout the day. What I could have done better throughout the day. What are some mistakes that I made today that I can change for tomorrow. I’m constantly evaluating myself for areas where I showed up. Not just bad, but also things I did good as well. It’s been a fun process. I’ve stayed calm and it’s helped me just stay calm and have fun and live in the moment.”

Three days after being released by Baltimore, Isabella was signed by the Bills.

His hopes to stick around weren’t even high enough to bring more than a small bag of clothes with him to training camp at St. John Fisher.

Based on what he’s shown on the field since arriving, he should bolster the wardrobe.

“One of the most impressive things with him is clearly his work ethic and what he does not only from a physical standpoint, but a mental standpoint,” offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey said. “He’s come in and had very few mistakes mentally. He’s in the right spots. I think he’s gained a lot of trust within the quarterback room. With the first couple days of practice, quarterbacks are making checks and he’s on it. He knows what to do.”

“The thing I love about him is he plays hard, he’s always prepared,” head coach Sean McDermott said. “He just does the little things. Jogs on the field. Jogs off the field. All those little things matter and he’s got good DNA that way. He’s opened some eyes to this point.”

“I know he’s impressed a lot of people,” Allen said.

It’s still an uphill climb for Isabella to make the team, even if he continues a strong showing.

That is where he leans into his new mental approach.

“I’m worried about today. I’m not worried about tomorrow,” said Isabella. “So whatever today has to bring, that’s what I’m going to focus on today and then tomorrow, the Bible says tomorrow will have its own struggles, so why worry about that? So today, I worry about what I’ve got to do today. And it’s tough. There are some days you go out there and you’re thinking about that, but the more you’re able to stick with your processes and the stuff that you do, the more you’re able to just live today and worry about what we have today, and what can I do today to get better to set up a better tomorrow.”

And Andy Isabella’s once again running with his chance.