The real Josh Allen is an ‘outsider’ who grew up on 3,000 acre farm and was forced to email coaches his own highlight reels
Before he was the Buffalo Bills’ best hope, Josh Allen grew up on a 3,000-acre farm in a small town of about 8,000 people. That low-key vibe from Firebaugh, California immediately made an impression on Buffalo teammate Travis Clayton. GettyJosh Allen stays humble while proving doubters wrong[/caption] “Josh is a great guy,” Clayton, a Buffalo Bills rookie, exclusively told talkSPORT. “When I first came through the building, he introduced himself to me. He’s just an amazing person, overall.” Allen edged Lamar Jackson to win the 2024 NFL MVP, then was rewarded with a record $330 million contract as NFL free agency began. He stands 6ft and 5in, weighs 237lbs, has a golf simulator in his basement, and recently became engaged to actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld. But Allen is also the same QB who was ignored by almost every college in America, and was forced to send out mass emails in the hope of landing a football scholarship. “Hello coach, my name is Josh Allen and I am a quarterback at Reedley JC out of California,” Allen wrote. “(I) feel like I would be a great fit in your offensive scheme. Please have a look at my hudl (highlights). “Please get back to me at any convenience!” Clayton, who hails from English town Basingstoke, said that the QB hoping to bring the Bills Mafia its first Super Bowl victory is ‘absolutely’ humble. Allen is also as talented in person as he is to all the fans watching his social media highlights. GettyWyoming took a chance on Allen when every other college passed on the QB[/caption] Buffalo Bills Allen, center, has small town roots[/caption] He’s also golfed with some of the biggest sports names in the world He can juggle, lists Kobe Bryant‘s ‘The Mamba Mentality’ as his favorite book, and met childhood idol Tiger Woods at the 2023 Genesis Invitational. Last season, the 28-year-old Allen tied Jackson for first place in quarterback rating (77.3), while trying to overcome five consecutive years of playoff frustration. “Everyone can see from watching football on TV the ability he has is just off the scale,” said Clayton, a 2024 seventh-round pick. “He is truly an unbelievable footballer.” Almost a decade ago, Allen posted an 8-minute clip of his own junior college highlights. He had 79 followers and only followed one account, Reedley College, which is located between San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sequoia National Park. “Every piece of empirical evidence we have on Allen leads to him being a failure,” was written about the small-town QB in 2018. Seven years later, Allen is leading the Bills on a record-setting $330 million contract — his guaranteed money of $250m surpassed the $230m that the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson — and reminding everyone the unproven gunslinger from Wyoming should have been the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. “Our main goal is to get to the Super Bowl,” Clayton said. “I think everyone can see that we have a really strong team here and we have the best fans in the world. “The Bills Mafia, everyone knows how crazy they are. The vibe in Buffalo at the minute is just insane.” Stay up to date with the latest from across the NFL via our talkSPORT Facebook page, and subscribe to our Endzone YouTube channel for news, views and exclusive interviews as we build up to the NFL Draft.
Before he was the Buffalo Bills’ best hope, Josh Allen grew up on a 3,000-acre farm in a small town of about 8,000 people.
That low-key vibe from Firebaugh, California immediately made an impression on Buffalo teammate Travis Clayton.
“Josh is a great guy,” Clayton, a Buffalo Bills rookie, exclusively told talkSPORT.
“When I first came through the building, he introduced himself to me. He’s just an amazing person, overall.”
Allen edged Lamar Jackson to win the 2024 NFL MVP, then was rewarded with a record $330 million contract as NFL free agency began.
He stands 6ft and 5in, weighs 237lbs, has a golf simulator in his basement, and recently became engaged to actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld.
But Allen is also the same QB who was ignored by almost every college in America, and was forced to send out mass emails in the hope of landing a football scholarship.
“Hello coach, my name is Josh Allen and I am a quarterback at Reedley JC out of California,” Allen wrote.
“(I) feel like I would be a great fit in your offensive scheme. Please have a look at my hudl (highlights).
“Please get back to me at any convenience!”
Clayton, who hails from English town Basingstoke, said that the QB hoping to bring the Bills Mafia its first Super Bowl victory is ‘absolutely’ humble.
Allen is also as talented in person as he is to all the fans watching his social media highlights.
He can juggle, lists Kobe Bryant‘s ‘The Mamba Mentality’ as his favorite book, and met childhood idol Tiger Woods at the 2023 Genesis Invitational.
Last season, the 28-year-old Allen tied Jackson for first place in quarterback rating (77.3), while trying to overcome five consecutive years of playoff frustration.
“Everyone can see from watching football on TV the ability he has is just off the scale,” said Clayton, a 2024 seventh-round pick.
“He is truly an unbelievable footballer.”
Almost a decade ago, Allen posted an 8-minute clip of his own junior college highlights.
He had 79 followers and only followed one account, Reedley College, which is located between San Francisco, Los Angeles and Sequoia National Park.
“Every piece of empirical evidence we have on Allen leads to him being a failure,” was written about the small-town QB in 2018.
Seven years later, Allen is leading the Bills on a record-setting $330 million contract — his guaranteed money of $250m surpassed the $230m that the Cleveland Browns gave Deshaun Watson — and reminding everyone the unproven gunslinger from Wyoming should have been the No. 1 overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
“Our main goal is to get to the Super Bowl,” Clayton said.
“I think everyone can see that we have a really strong team here and we have the best fans in the world.
“The Bills Mafia, everyone knows how crazy they are. The vibe in Buffalo at the minute is just insane.”
Stay up to date with the latest from across the NFL via our talkSPORT Facebook page, and subscribe to our Endzone YouTube channel for news, views and exclusive interviews as we build up to the NFL Draft.
