"I was a no star": When Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen opened up about having "zero offers" out of high school

By Aman Sharma

Modified Sep 21, 2024 11:40 GMT

Josh Allen, now one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, had a bumpy road to success. In a 2017 interview with ESPN Gameday, ahead of the NFL draft, Allen shared his experiences growing up with minimal attention from college recruiters. Despite throwing for over 3,200 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2016, he faced rejection.

Reflecting on his recruitment struggles, Allen said:

"I was a no star, no offer guy at a high school. I sent emails every day to almost every coach in the nation. Please, please just offer me. All I was asking was for an opportunity. And I really never heard back from anybody. "

Allen elaborated on the frustration he faced as a high school player:

"I had zero offers, no preferred walk ons. In high school, no preferred walk ons at all. Couple D threes were trying to give me an academic scholarship so I can go play there. The copy and paste is, hey, I'm Josh. ... these are my stats, blah, blah, blah, copy paste, send to every single coach that I could."

Despite his persistent efforts, those emails largely went unanswered. However, things turned around when Josh Allen found his footing at the University of Wyoming.

In his first season as the starting quarterback, he threw for over 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, helping the team go from two wins the previous season to eight victories and a berth in the Poinsettia Bowl.

“I was trying to show every college they made a mistake by not recruiting me,” Allen said. “I played p*ssed off and I had a lot of success doing that.”

Encouraged by his offensive coordinator Brent Vigen to stay at Wyoming for another season, Josh Allen heeded the advice. By the time he entered the NFL draft, Allen was more than ready, proving he was built for greatness all along.

Josh Allen's journey from overlooked recruit to NFL star

Wyoming's Josh Allen made the most of his experience and emerged as a key player in the NFL front within the span of the two years while he was the quarterback. In 2018, he announced for the NFL draft, where the Buffalo Bills traded up from 12th to seventh overall to select him.

In July 2018, Allen signed a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth $21 million with the Bills. Initially, he faced competition for the starting quarterback role, battling A.J. McCarron and Nathan Peterman throughout the offseason.

In NFL history, Josh Allen has a well-defined place heretofore as he now stands with several astounding records. He evenly commands the record for the most touchdowns by a running back in the first 50 games, with 28, along with Cam Newton.

Beyond that, Jalen Hurts joined Allen as the quarterback with the most rushing touchdowns in a single season by delivering 15 in 2023. He holds the highest passer rating in a single postseason, posting a rating of 149.0 in 2022. Allen is also the first player in NFL history to record 40 or more total touchdowns in four consecutive seasons.