It is said that you cannot grow without pain or learn without mistakes.

If that is true than the 1999 University at Buffalo Bulls football team has laid the groundwork for future success after learning to grow with the pain and tribulations of making the monumental jump to Division I-A football a mere eight years after the Bulls made the move upward from playing Division III competition.

Though the Bulls finished their inaugural season in the Mid-American Conference without a win, the pride and perseverance displayed by the team week after week will no doubt lead to future success. In addition, the Bulls' finally got a chance to see firsthand the competition that they must face on a yearly basis in the MAC after signing on to become the league's 13th member in the summer of 1995.

With a year of learning under their belt, an off-season of recruiting and preparation for the constant challenges that lie ahead and the knowledge gained in trying circumstances, the Bulls approach the 2000 season with renewed optimism.

However, the 1999 season was not without highlights.

The Bulls nearly shocked the nation and the Mid-American Conference on opening night. Before a UB Stadium record crowd of 20,835, Buffalo battled visiting Akron wire-to-wire before dropping a 17-10 decision. The Zips would go on to finish 7-4 on the season while the Bulls would find it hard to recover from such an emotional and physical battle.

The Bulls played the Zips evenly despite the fact the Bulls lost their top two signal-callers entering fall camp - Erik Rusin (Amherst, NY/Amherst Central) and Mike Gaydosz (Ellwood City, PA/Riverside) to injures during pre-season. That meant that sophomore Joe Freedy (Bethel Park, PA/Bethel Park) got the first start, and took the first snap, of his career against Akron.

Freedy proved to be a microcosm of the Bulls themselves in 1999. Although untested and unsure at the beginning of the season, he made major progress throughout the season and became a solid Division I-A signal-caller in the process. Freedy finished the year completing over 50% of his passes (151-of-299) for 1,775 yards and eight touchdowns. At Kent in week seven, he completed 10-of-18 passes for 165 yards and three touchdowns.

Freedy's favorite target all season was senior flanker and second-team All-MAC selection Drew Haddad (Cleveland, OH/St. Ignatius). Haddad had the most spectacular season of his incredible career, smashing all single-season receiving records with 85 receptions for 1,158 yards and six touchdowns. Haddad went over 100-yards receiving in eight separate games and capped his phenomenal career by catching eight passes for 141 yards and a highlight-reel 67-yard touchdown reception at Virginia.

Haddad's performance against Virginia was typical of the Bulls' play that day as UB gave the Cavaliers all they could handle. Virginia, who came in to the game as 49-point favorites, led just 24-14 at halftime and had to make a goal-line stand late in the third quarter to put the game away.

Another player who shone against Virginia while capping an excellent career was fullback Josh Roth (Conewango Valley, NY/Pine Valley). Despite numerous nagging injuries, Roth led the Bulls in rushing for the second straight season with 519 yards on 124 carries. He posted back-to-back 100-yard games near the end of the season, rambling for 126 yards on 18 carries with a touchdown versus Hofstra and shredding the Cavalier defense for 114 yards on 20 carries and a trip to paydirt at Virginia.

The Bulls also got a breakout season from sophomore free safety Craig Rohlfs (Cincinnati, OH/Moeller). Despite being snubbed by the MAC voters, Rohlfs was arguable the Bulls' best defender and one of the MAC's top defensive backs. Rohlfs started all 11 games and finished tied for the MAC lead in interceptions with five - including three on the road at Kent - and finished second on the team with 86 total tackles. Rohlfs had a team-high 51 solo stops and, most impressively, was involved in nine of the Bulls' 15 caused turnovers (five interceptions, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles gathered by UB).

The Bulls' also got a strong season from linebacker Chris Shelly (Pittsburgh, PA/Shaler). Shelly led Buffalo in tackles with 89 - after making 80 stops as a freshman - and also had five tackles for loss and three forced fumbles. Yet another sophomore Brandon Jordan (Huntington Beach, CA/Edison) was third on the team in tackles with 73 (32 solos), including two sacks, three pass breakups and a fumble recovery.

The Bulls graduated 19 seniors in 1999, including captains Haddad, offensive tackle Tom Brown (Amherst, NY/Amherst Central) and offensive guard Mike Garofalo (Sharpsville, PA/Kennedy Christian). Brown, Haddad, Roth and senior offensive tackle Joe Hattendorf (Shillington, PA/Governor Mifflin) were all receiving interest from National Football League teams as the 2000 NFL draft approaches.