Photo: Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty
From the farm to the gridiron,Josh Allenknows his way around a field.
Since being drafted seventh overall in the 2018 NFL draft, the 26-year-old California native has made western New York his home as a fifth-year quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.
His grit and hard work ethic forged on the ranch, combined with the strength gained digging ditches and hacking away weeds in part laid the fundamental foundation for the dream Allen lives out today: playing professional football.
Trading in his boots for his cleats, Allen has helped his new family — one that wears red and blue and calls them his teammates — for the past five NFL seasons. Prior to joining the Bills, he played Division I football at the University of Wyoming where he threw 44 touchdowns and 5,066 passing yards in 27 career games for the Cowboys.
As the All-Pro QB continues his impressive game with the Bills, he chatted with PEOPLE about his game-day rituals, who he idolized growing up and the songs that get him most hyped before hitting the field.
Keep scrolling to get to know the quarterback!
Josh Allen.Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Do you have any game day rituals or superstitions that you must complete before hitting the field?
Josh: Yeah, actually! If it’s a one o’clock game, I don’t eat. If it’s a night game, I’ll eat breakfast. There’s a playlist that I have to listen to right before we go out. The way I put my pads into my pants and then my socks, how I put my socks on, there’s a little bit of superstition there too.
Is there a certain song you listen to before games that gets you pumped up?
Josh: No, it’s actually old slow school, so I listen to Frank Sinatra, there’s an Elvis track, there’s a Sammy Davis Jr. track. And then the last two I listen to are a little bit of a pump up, but not much. That’s like, ‘Alright, get ready, you’re going out there, get ready to go [kind of song].’
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Do you have a post game routine?
Josh: Not really. That’s a little bit different. Usually post game, I try to find ways where I can hang out with my teammates and find a spot to eat or have guys come over to the house and just hang out.
Do you read what people are saying about you on social media or do you try to avoid it completely?
Josh: I try to avoid it at all costs. Sometimes you’ll get someone retweeting something about you here or there, but no, I try not to let that distract me. I try to be the same guy in this building every day. And the only opinions that really mattered to me are my friends, my family and my teammates.
Josh Allen and Tom Brady.Carmen Mandato/Getty
Who was the player that you idolized growing up?
Josh: I think I had a few. Probably early on in my life was more Brett Favre, just the joy that he played the game. ThenTom [Brady]andAaron [Rodgers]. I’ve had the pleasure of playing against those two guys and go to do some cool things. I didThe Matchwith them last year, the golfing deal with them, which was really, really special and surreal to me. So I think those three guys are the ones that I’ve kind of, I wouldn’t say modeled my game after, but just learned the love of the game through them and have just tried to act like them and emulate them in ways.
If you weren’t playing football, what would your job be?
Josh: Probably working on the farm.
source: people.com
