Spencer Brown is 6-foot-8, 311 pounds and doesn't exactly look like someone who scares easily.
Khalil Mack is an exception.
The Buffalo Bills right tackle has encountered the former University at Buffalo star twice during his NFL career. Brown joked that the experience hasn't gotten much less intimidating.
"The first time I saw Khalil Mack was preseason my rookie year, and I was terrified then," Brown said. "Then I played him again in L.A., still a little bit scared. So hopefully this time around I'm not timid."
Brown was smiling. He also knows exactly what he'll be dealing with Sunday.
"Great player," Brown said. "He's done it a long time. This is where he played college football at so he's not going to be thrown off by the area or anything like
that. Great player that is probably leading that D-line and knows how to get things done the right way and I'm sure they're feeding off that."
Mack returns to Western New York as one of the most accomplished defensive players of his generation.
He played four seasons at UB, earning second-team All-America honors and MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 before the Raiders selected him with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Mack has since been named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, earned three first-team All-Pro selections and made nine Pro Bowls. The 35-year-old has 114 career sacks.
Brown's introduction to Mack came during the 2021 preseason. Brown was a rookie blocking Mack, who was playing for the Chicago Bears.
They've met only once in the regular season.
Mack had four tackles and one tackle for loss when the Bills visited the Chargers on Dec. 23, 2023. Buffalo fell behind 10-0 before rallying for a 24-22 victory on Tyler Bass' 29-yard field goal with 28 seconds remaining.
Mack has played four regular-season games against Buffalo during his career, going 2-2 with 18 tackles, four sacks and a fumble recovery.
There's at least some encouraging news for Brown: Mack hasn't recorded a sack against the Bills since 2016.
That doesn't make him any less imposing to Buffalo's right tackle.
Brown is now in his sixth NFL season and has started 71 of his 75 career games. He'll get another opportunity Sunday to see whether Mack is finally a little less terrifying.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills towering offensive lineman admits Chargers linebacker once 'terrified' him
