Josh Allen grew up around 2,700 miles away from Buffalo, New York, but when he first visited the Bills before he was even drafted, he knew it felt like home. When recalling the moment he realized he knew he loved Buffalo, he pointed to his official visit with the team before the draft. Allen went to Buffalo before he had visits scheduled with the Jets and Giants in the lead up to the draft, but it was the small-town of Buffalo that most appealed to him.
"It was on my official visit," Allen recalled, via NFL Network. "When I was over there, I got snowed in so I couldn't leave. I was visiting the Jets and Giants that next day, but I didn't get out in time. I went Bar-Bill with a couple scouts ... When I was just sitting there it felt like home to me. It's kind of the only thing that I've ever known of small-town feel where the people are great and the food is just as great. Those were two big factors for me in not having a huge city of traffic and this and that, that's something I feared. I just think it's home for me."
Buffalo is home for @JoshAllenQB. ❤️💙
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) March 12, 2025
The newly extended QB1 discusses the moment he fell in love with the @BuffaloBills. pic.twitter.com/Kt9VJjSKIH
Allen grew up in Firebaugh, California, a town with vast farm acreage, but fewer than 10,000 residents. He went on to play football at junior college and then Wyoming, and now plays for the small-market NFL team that chose him No. 7 in the draft nearly seven years ago.
As Allen knew before the Bills even drafted him, he loves Buffalo and has been a perfect fit for the blue-collar city with his tough style of play and humble nature. He is on track to get his wish to spend the rest of his career in Buffalo after signing a six-year, $330 million contract extension with the Bills over the weekend, ensuring he will remain with the team through the 2030 season. There's no guarantee Allen lasts with the Bills for his entire career, but it's surely hard to imagine him playing anywhere else.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Josh Allen Names the Moment When He First Fell in Love With Buffalo.
