NEW YORK (WKBW) — On Monday night the Buffalo Bills visit New Jersey to take on the New York Jets in primetime at MetLife Stadium.
At the same time, across the Hudson River, the New York Yankees host the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS.
So what do these games have in common? Well, a father-son connection.
Bills Assistant Special Teams Coach Cory Harkey is the son of longtime Yankees Bullpen Coach, Mike Harkey.
“I haven’t taken time to soak that in, but it’s a cool thing,” said Cory, hoping to see his father before the game.
“Definitely going to be exciting out there in New York,” said Harkey told me.
Cory was born in Chicago while his dad was a pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. His dad then went to pitch in Oakland, Anaheim and Los Angeles. Growing up, Cory played baseball and football.
“[My dad] never pressured us into baseball, we just liked playing sports,” said Cory.
Cory stayed committed to his love of football, and was a tight end at UCLA before being signed by the Rams. After 55 games in the NFL, he put on his coaching hat to become the Bills Assistant Special Teams Coach in 2022. Cory said even though he coaches on a football field, he still learns from his dad on a baseball diamond.
“It’s definitely helpful,” explained Cory. “I can go to him with advice when it comes to coaching, day to day and stuff like that even though very different sports it’s still good to have his knowledge and expertise from the coaching side of things.”
Cory won’t watch Yankees games, because he’s “a little superstitious,” but he will check the score on his phone when they're on.
“I was fired up for him when they advanced,” said Cory. “I’m hoping this year he can get another one."
