ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Every time Jude Bowry steps on the football field, he feels like he has something to prove.

“Just really showing who I am, showcasing my ability, and just showing [that] teams messed up,” Bowry said.

The Buffalo Bills drafted the athletic offensive tackle in the fourth round out of Boston College in April.

“I’d say it’s bittersweet because of the competitive spirit I’ve got,” he said. “I feel like I was overlooked a little bit, but I was blessed to have a position to come here and play for the Buffalo Bills.”

Bowry is confident in his ability, but humble enough to know it takes more than that to reach his potential. He’s already seen how different the NFL is compared to the college game.

“Here, you’re a part of the bunch and everybody has their assets, their skill sets, and what they do best, but it’s a matter of how you improve that, but improve your weak areas too,” he said. “Each and every day I just want to continue to prove myself and prove why I felt like I was the best player in the draft.”

Bowry’s motivation to be great goes beyond what’s intrinsically inside him. His parents separated when he was younger. While his father was still in his life, he had a single mom, and Bowry came to lean on his much older brother, Jevon Stephenson.

“Big J, he was 13 years older than me, but he served as a guy who I could always call upon, who I could always go to. I loved him to death,” Bowry said. “He was a chef, so he taught me how to cook. He taught me how to do a lot of things. He also taught me how to be a man and how to handle my business when it came down to it.”

But while Bowry was at Boston College in 2024, the news hit hard. His brother Jevon passed away at the age of 33.

“Honestly, I couldn’t fathom whether he was gone or not, especially being 13 years older than me,” Bowry said. “You want to call him, but you can’t. And that’s when it hits me the most, where it’s like, ‘all right, he actually is gone.’ But I do miss him.”

The man who meant so much was gone, but Bowry found his football family was there to see him through it.

“I know I had to be strong for my mother. I had to be strong for my other brother,” he said. “But sometimes I could be vulnerable, and for me to be vulnerable in front of my teammates and for them to be that shoulder to cry on, for my coaches to be that shoulder to cry on, be that support system, it was very impactful.”

Now in the NFL, Bowry dedicates his football success to his brother, while pushing for even more.

“I think he’d be really happy for me. He’d probably troll me a little bit,” Bowry said with a smile. “I think he’d be happy for me.”

One big reason why Jude Bowry has so much to prove.