There isn’t a Red Waver alive who hasn’t wondered why NFL star quarterback Josh Allen, born and raised in nearby Firebaugh, wound up at Wyoming instead of Fresno State.
Allen tells espn.com’s Ryan Hockensmith and Alaina Getzenberg that Fresno State never showed any interest in him.
In fact, at a Fresno State football camp the summer before his senior at Firebaugh High School, a Bulldogs coach excluded him from the field where the top QB prospects drilled.
Even more maddening for Allen, he had starred in seven-on-seven games on the camp’s first day — earning accolades from then Bulldogs QB Derek Carr.
“I was extremely mad,” Allen said. “I really wanted to be on that field with the guys that they thought were the better guys. I couldn’t even focus on playing football in that moment.”
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Allen’s Bills Take on Burrow’s Bengals Next
It has worked out better than all right for Allen, who played at Reedley College before transferring to Wyoming and becoming a first-round NFL pick.
He is a two-time Pro Bowler and a key ingredient in Buffalo’s resurgence as a Super Bowl contender.
After rallying for a 34-31 victory over Miami in the wild-card round of the playoffs, Buffalo collides with Cincinnati on Sunday.
The Bengals have won nine straight while the Bills are riding an eight-game winning streak. And, the backstory is dramatic. Their Jan. 2 regular-season matchup was suspended and later canceled after Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and was brought back to life on the field.
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More About Allen’s Journey
To read more about Allen’s early life in Firebaugh and his journey to the NFL, click on Untold Tales on the Making of Bills Star Josh Allen at espn.com.
