He wasn’t drafted. He wasn’t sought after. He’s a humble Texan turned Buffalonian.

The unlikely path of running back Fred Jackson meanders and branches out like the Cazenovia Creek.

After multiple NFL tryouts, he started his post-college career by playing on the indoor pro football circuit. He was the United Indoor Football co-MVP while playing for the Sioux City Bandits in 2005, finishing that season with 1,770 rushing yards and 53 all-purpose touchdowns. Incredibly, the team would go on to retire Jackson’s jersey number three short years later.

After playing for Sioux City for two seasons, Jackson would finally get his chance with the NFL . . . NFL Europa, that is.

In 2006, Jackson played with the Rhein Fire of NFL Europa, a team based out of Düsseldorf, Germany. He played one season with the Fire and rushed for 731 yards in the waning years of the now-defunct NFL Europa.

Jackson would eventually get a shot in the NFL in 2007, an opportunity that was actually given to him by fellow Coe College alum Marv Levy. Levy was the general manager of the Buffalo Bills during that time and saw Jackson for what he was — a relentless athlete.

To make a long story short, Jackson went on to be one of the most popular Buffalo players since the playoff drought began. Crazy to think that the playoff drought is now a measurement of time.

What Bills fans gravitate to is the story: a tale of perseverance and determination that emanated from Jackson.

Jackson brought a familiar feeling of community to Buffalo that time and time again is seen within both current and former Bills players.

It’s prevalent to Buffalonians daily.

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly leads the list of the former Bills. He went from a man who couldn’t stand going to Buffalo to someone who entrenched his roots in the community and will have an impact that will live on longer than him.

Recently, former Bills players Terrence McGee, Brian Moorman and Jackson himself partnered up with Pegula Sports and Entertainment to bring a modern steakhouse to downtown Buffalo.

The back and forth support between the players, community and fans doesn’t stop there. Although some may find it comical, whenever the Bills or Buffalo Sabres make a coaching or front office change, people call or tweet their endorsement of former players to be considered. It just shows how popular these guys are within the community years after they’ve put on their shoulder pads.

What stands out about Buffalo to these current and former players and what keeps them involved in the city is the fact that no matter the circumstance, the community has supported the product on the field, year after year. Bills fans will show up in a below-zero wind chill just to holler at Tom Brady if it means being one step closer to the playoffs and the Lombardi trophy.

Attached to that feeling of commitment is that feeling of anxiety that Buffalonians have endured for years — the anxiety of possibly losing someone or something they love dearly.

It’s happened before.

The Buffalo Braves of the NBA left in a dash in 1978 to eventually become the Los Angeles Clippers.

The future of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres was on the line until Tom Golisano stepped in and bought the bankrupt team in 2003.

When former owner Ralph Wilson Jr. passed away in 2014, the state of the NFL franchise was in jeopardy. Terry Pegula swooped in with his wife Kim to save Buffalo again. The Pegulas now own both major sports franchises in Buffalo and continue to bring more to the community.

These major moments seem to be lived vicariously through all the players. When an athlete comes to Buffalo, they expect little from the city but leave (or stay) with a piece of their heart here.

Fred Jackson summed it up nicely during an interview on the John Murphy Show, “Buffalo is home, and that’s always going to be the case.”

As we approach the 2017 season, it’s important to reflect on the long journey it took to get to this point. Through trial and error and thick and thin, Buffalo has been there for the Bills and the Bills remain here for Buffalo.