Orchard Park, N.Y. -- Well, that was awkward.

Eric Wood's family, friends and teammates gathered at the ADPRO Sports Training Center Monday afternoon, so the Buffalo Bills' center could officially announce his retirement from the game of football after he sustained a neck injury last season. Except Wood didn't officially retire, at least not yet.

Because of the salary cap ramifications and lingering contract questions regarding Wood's retirement, the press conference became him reading a two-minute statement and then walking off the stage without answering questions. It should have been a celebration of Wood's career and a chance for him to connect with the Bills fans one last time before fading into retirement and enjoying more time with his family.

The saving grace for Wood was that he had some old teammates and friends there. A celebration could still happen behind the scenes. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who played with Wood from 2009 to 2012, was dressed in a t-shirt with Wood's face on it for the press conference and shared what Wood meant to him afterward.

"I was really excited when he reached out to me and told me about the press conference," Fitzpatrick said. "Just to come out here and support him, because we had a great run here for four years and it didn't end there. We're going to be lifelong friends just with the bond we established here. I had my hands under center plenty with him, and you tend to form a unique bond when you're that close with somebody. Eric has been a phenomenal example and representative of the city of Buffalo, just the way that he pays the game, the way he approaches life. I was happy for him to extend an invitation and it's something I wouldn't miss for the world."

Bills linebacker Lorenzo Alexander only played with Wood for two seasons, but that was long enough for Wood to make a lasting impression on him. There's little mistaking what Wood meant to the locker room.

"I think if you've ever been around Eric, and many of you guys have, he's a guy that myself, Kyle Williams, LeSean McCoy, and other veterans on this team that are seen as leaders are willing to follow," Alexander said. "I think that's the ultimate testament, when you have people in your peer group and who have accomplished the same things that you have that are willing to follow you. He's true to who he is; Christian man, husband, great athlete, accountability, gives back, serves, all those things and it's genuine and it's real. It's not what he shows on TV or in front of the camera. He's that same guy when he's at home with his family and dealing with us away from the building. It's just been great for me to be around a man like him of his caliber. He's been inspiring me in my life and holds me accountable and wants me to achieve more as well for myself."

Monday should have featured more of these types of sentaments rather than questions about Wood's contract and the the technicalities of the situation. Still, it's clear the moment wasn't lose on those who mattered.