Buffalo, N.Y. sits 919 miles away from Memphis, Tenn., where the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll music run through the streets like blood through veins. But for Bills wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson, the rhythm isn't in the strings of a guitar or the keys of a piano. It's in cleats scraping turf, pads clashing like cymbals, and the silent beat before a snap. Football is his music and in first grade, the field became his stage.
"I started football in the first grade. My best friend wanted me to play with him. I was bigger than everybody, and he was the quarterback. He told me to come protect him, so I played offensive line," Wilkerson said.
He first found his rhythm in the trenches, lining up as an O-lineman through his early years. But as he grew taller and leaned out, the tune began to change. He moved out wide, trading blocks for routes and just like that, tight end became his new groove.
"I thinned out more and got taller. Then I started playing wide receiver in high school. That's where it really took off," he said.
At Craigmont High in Memphis, Wilkerson played both football and basketball. Dreaming of going to the NBA or the NFL, he leaned on his high school coach to help him decide.
"My high school football coach told me if I wanted to take care of my family and go to college, it would be through football. So, I made the switch to just football. It was a business decision," he said.
He finished his high school career with 155 receptions, 2,403 yards, and 36 touchdowns. But when it came to recruiting, he didn't have major offers. Instead, he had grit and a strong foundation built at home.
"My mom and dad were working a lot. They'd send me on my way, but they taught me well," Wilkerson said. "My family couldn't always be there. My mom worked two jobs, and my dad was a truck driver. They both worked so hard to provide. That work ethic, that's what motivates me. They're the reason I go so hard."
Wilkerson's parents, Sean Wilkerson and Michelle Vaulx supported him the best way they could. And right before senior year ended, he got an offer to Southeast Missouri State, so he committed there.
"I knew I was going to be able to play a lot of ball. That's why I went there," he said. "They also had a senior receiver going to the league. I wanted to learn from him. I learned more about football there, toughness, and mental strength."
Off the field, he approached college like a pro. When it came time to choose a major, Wilkerson didn't waste time.
"I Googled what jobs were progressing over the next 10 years. It was construction, design, and architecture, so I chose Construction," Wilkerson said.
He earned a bachelor's degree in construction management and design and spent a summer working an internship with Robinson Construction in Perryville, Mo.
"I learned a lot, I did estimates, followed them around on job sites. It's like a team. There are estimators, foremen, roofers. It takes all those pieces to build something. Same as football," Wilkerson said.
Learning all the moving parts in college football became easier because of his love for the game. And that love showed in his career at SE Missouri.
Wilkerson appeared in 47 games with 43 starts and totaled 219 receptions for 3,540 yards with 33 touchdowns and set school records in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. But after the world shut down Wilkerson had lots of uncertainty about making it to the NFL.
"It was tough. My Pro Day got canceled because of COVID. No OTAs, no rookie minicamp, no preseason. I had to learn everything on the fly once I got picked up by the Patriots. I had to just focus on giving my all every day," shared Wilkerson.
During his time with the Patriots, the game that Wilkerson loved took a back seat. In 2022 during a joint practice with the Carolina Panthers, Wilkerson took a blindside hit from safety Kenny Robinson and was carted off the field.
A concussion knocked Wilkerson out of the game. Not just for a play or a week, but for an entire season.
"That was tough," he said. "Being away from ball was hard."
The silence that followed wasn't just physical. It was a kind of stillness that tested everything he had built.
He leaned on his brothers. He leaned on faith. And most of all, he leaned on love. Not from the crowd, but for the game itself.
"Just the love of the game. Knowing I belonged. That I could provide value to a team. That kept me going."
The hit didn't scare him off. If anything, it sharpened him.
"It didn't change how I play," he said. "If anything, it made me go harder." Where others might have played cautious, Wilkerson dug in deeper. He studied the playbook. Watched tendencies. Picked up the mental side of the game. "You've got to protect yourself," he said. "Be smart. Be ahead of the game."
After some time off the field and opportunities with other teams, the 28-year-old was picked up in free agency by the Bills after 5 years in the league. Prior to that, he spent three years with the Patriots and two years with the Raiders. He played in nine games with two starts, totaling 60 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Wilkerson is now making impressive plays at Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher University.
"They give you a real chance," he said of the Bills organization. "It's not just 'you're a camp body.' You better know what you're doing. It makes camp feel like a retreat. That's rare."
With a few of the team's wide receivers injured in the early portion of camp, wide receivers coach Adam Henry has had to make adjustments that have given guys like Wilkerson a chance to shine. In addition, coach Henry noticed something in Wilkerson right away.
"He's a man of few words," Henry said. "But he's an action guy. He goes out there and practices hard every day."
It isn't just Henry that has been impressed with the newcomer. Bills general manager Brandon Beane shared on One Bills Live that the way Wilkerson has carried himself on and off the field has stood out to him.
"He's played NFL varsity football," Beane said. "He's come right in here, he's had no fear. He's picked up the playbook from when we signed him in the spring, and he's been fun to watch."
Beane noted that Wilkerson has mixed in with Josh Allen and the Bills top unit on offense recently at camp where he's made a handful of contested catches.
"He's had a heck of a camp. He's gotten a decent amount of reps with the first group due to some of those injuries and I don't see a guy that doesn't look like he doesn't belong," Beane added.
And if there was any doubt about where Wilkerson's mindset is, coach Henry put it to rest.
"When asked what the most exciting thing he did this summer, he said driving up here to camp," Henry said with a smile. "So, for him, it's all about ball. He loves this game."
For Wilkerson, he knows being here is what millions want, but few are granted the opportunity. Going undrafted and overlooked, the receiver was forced to learn the league his rookie year without OTAs, rookie minicamps, or preseason snaps.
"Even when teams weren't committed to me, I stayed committed to the game," he said. "I'm here to work. I'll do whatever it takes to win. I already feel like I'd do anything for these fans and I've only been here a couple months."
After everything — the setbacks, the silence, the season lost — Wilkerson knows the game still belongs to him. It was never taken. And now with the ball in his hands, he is finding his place in this league.
"I'm going to give it my all. Compete every day. Do my 1/11th. Beat the man in front of me. That's how you make it in this league," Wilkerson said.
