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When Geoff Hangartner signed with the Buffalo Bills earlier this year, Jake Delhomme quickly got on the telephone.
Delhomme, the quarterback Hangartner blocked for during four seasons with the Carolina Panthers, put in a call to a Bills trainer with some interesting news.
Hangartner's nickname is “Piggy,” said Delhomme, who wanted to make sure that tidbit made its way around the Bills' locker room.
“(The trainer) kind of spread the word a bit,” said Hangartner in a conference call this week. “But it didn't really catch on here. I had to learn to respond to people calling me Geoff again.”
Hangartner will likely hear that nickname from across the line of scrimmage Sunday, when the Bills (2-4) face the Panthers (2-3) in Bank of America Stadium. He returns to Charlotte as a regular starter for the first time in his career, anchoring the Bills' offensive line at center.
“It'll be fun to play against them,” Hangartner said. “Hopefully we'll beat them and I'll have a little bragging rights all off-season.”
Hangartner signed with the Bills as a 6-foot-5, 301-pound free agent in the offseason. A fifth-round draft pick by the Panthers in 2005, Hangartner never was a regular for Carolina. But he was a valuable fill-in who started 27 games.
He was especially beneficial to the Panthers' injury-plagued offensive line last year, starting eight games at center and guard. When his contract expired after the season, he went to Buffalo, where he was quickly named starting center. He's now the leader of a young offensive line.
“(That) is interesting for me because I went from being a younger guy to being the oldest guy on our line pretty quick,” Hangartner said. “So that's definitely been a transition.”
The Bills' offense hasn't clicked this season. Quarterback Trent Edwards struggled through six games before leaving an overtime victory last week against the New York Jets with a concussion. He'll be replaced Sunday by Ryan Fitzpatrick. Receiver Terrell Owens has been nearly invisible, catching just 15 passes for 215 yards and one touchdown.
Owens has been uncharacteristically silent about his lack of production.
“The guy's been a great teammate,” Hangartner said. “He comes in every day and works his butt off. I've had nothing but great experiences with him. We've all heard about his reputation in the past, but I haven't seen any of that.”
Hangartner has been a bright spot, though.
“I told Geoff I think he's a tremendous upgrade for us,” Bills run-game coordinator Eric Studesville reportedly told the Buffalo News.
“It'll be interesting,” coach John Fox said of facing Hangartner. “He was a very well-liked guy in our locker room. Anytime a guy can better his career to get an opportunity, I think everybody was happy for him. He'll be trying to whup us and we'll be trying to whup him, but all in good fun. It'll be good to see him. He's a good man.”
Hangartner said he still talks to his former teammates often. He hasn't sold his house in Charlotte yet, renting it to Panthers defensive tackle Nick Hayden.
He's also no longer doing television commercials like he did in Charlotte, where he appeared with former Panthers offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges in ads for a local home-security company.
“You know what? My television career is probably more than done,” Hangartner said. “I haven't done a whole lot of television up here and probably won't.”
And Sunday's weather is something that Hangartner – a lifelong southerner who grew up in Texas before moving to Charlotte and on to Buffalo – will enjoy. The forecast is mostly sunny, with a high of 69.
“It's already snowed here once,” Hangartner said. “That was a little different. It didn't stick or anything, but snow in October is something new for me.”
Staff writer Ron Green Jr. contributed.
