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Buffalo QB Josh Allen's Family Sends Strong Message on Bills

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Adams | Last updated Jan 26, 2025 3:05 PM ET

Long before becoming the face of the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen was raised by his parents LaVonne and Joel Allen as the family helped pave the way for his future NFL success. It is hard to imagine the star quarterback playing anywhere other than Buffalo, but it was not guaranteed heading into the 2018 NFL Draft.

The Bills benefitted from Allen slightly falling on draft night before trading up to select the quarterback with the No. 7 pick. He grew up in his hometown of Firebaugh, Calif., before eventually becoming a standout college football quarterback for the Wyoming Cowboys.

As for the NFL teams who passed on the star, Josh's dad Joel believes things worked out in the end.

“Shame on you,” Joel joked about the franchises who passed on the quarterback during a Dec. 14 interview with The New York Post's Steve Serby . “And the Denver Broncos, that was kind of a head-scratcher when [John] Elway decided to go with [defensive end Bradley] Chubb.

"But you know what? I think in the long run, it did us a favor because of how much of a football city Buffalo is, and how passionate the fan base is."

Josh Allen’s parents and grandparents have joined the #Bills street party in midtown Houston. pic.twitter.com/azFYQp6ACk
— Ashley Rowe (@TheAshleyRowe) January 3, 2020

Josh's father also had a strong message about the Bills' chances to go on a magical run. More than a month after Joel's comments, Buffalo is just one game away from the Super Bowl.

.@JoshAllenQB grew up on a fourth-generation California farm and had no D1 scholarship offers. He went the junior college route, then became a @wyo_football star and is now at the top of draft boards. It's been a unique path to achieving his @NFL dream. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/nRlQ7YibEV
— ThePostGame (@ThePostGame) April 18, 2018

“I don’t think he could have gone to a better situation," Joel added. "The shoe, I believe, fits perfectly for Josh and our family in Buffalo, and we’re very excited to see where the future takes us.

“I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, but I think we got a special team this year.”

“As a little guy…(Josh Allen) did have a Packer football he used to sleep with every night. And Aaron (Rodgers) was someone he wanted to be like.”

Great insights from @JoshAllenQB’s parents Lavonne and Joel ahead of tonight’s SNF game #Packers #Bills

My story for @WFRVSports pic.twitter.com/PO0jAF4cWs
— Lauren Helmbrecht (@lmhelmbrecht) October 30, 2022

Josh's mom LaVonne has also been complimentary about the support the family has received from Bills Mafia.

“Yeah, Bills Mafia, they show out all the time," LaVonne said during a Jan. 7, 2024, interview with News10NBC. "They give the Bills, the players, everything that they need and then some."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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