BILLS LEVY SUFFERING FROM CANCER

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.--The Buffalo Bills knew something was wrong the second they saw Mary Levy walk into the locker room and start talking about their victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

And they knew it was serious.

First, in Levy's nine-plus years as coach, he has never called a meeting four hours ahead of their usual 1 p.m. schedule. Never has he brought general manager John Butler and owner Ralph Wilson along to chat about strategy from the previous game.

Levy told the team he has prostate cancer.

"It was a very somber group once the news came out," center Kent Hull said. "I can't think of a finer person than Mary Levy, and I just hate that he has to go through this."

Levy knew for two months that he had cancer and never told anyone beside Butter and Wilson. Word filtered through the coaching staff last week but did not reach his players until yesterday.

Levy will undergo surgery today at Roswell Park Cancer Institute in Buffalo. The Bills, riding a five-game winning streak, are expected to be without Levy for a three-game road stretch.