Why Hasn’t Former Wyoming QB Josh Allen Returned to Laramie?

LARAMIE -- Why hasn't Josh Allen returned to Laramie since his playing days back in 2017?

The simple answer is: He's a busy guy.

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What's the school's relationship like these days with the NFL's reigning Most Valuable Player?

"I just texted Josh's mom this morning," Wyoming's Athletic Director Tom Burman said last Monday. "We have a good relationship. Would we like Josh to come back here? Absolutely. We have had lengthy dialog with him, his family and his agent over the last few years. It is just, it's different. When you're a quarterback, it's different."

Allen was selected No. 7 overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2018 NFL Draft after leading the Cowboys to back-to-back bowl appearances and a berth in the Mountain West Championship game during his sophomore season.

The former unknown out of Firebaugh, Calif., burst onto the scene that year, throwing for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns. He also found the end zone seven more times with his legs. He led Wyoming to five straight victories, including the program's lone win over Boise State, which was then ranked No. 13 in the country.

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He went 16-9 overall as a starter, eight of those coming in '17 despite the loss of offensive standouts wideout Tanner Gentry, tight end Jacob Hollister, running back Brian Hill and center Chase Roullier, who all went on to play in the NFL.

Allen will be inducted into the UW Intercollegiate Hall of Fame on Sept. 5. No, he won't be in attendance. Buffalo opens its 2025 season two nights later against the Baltimore Ravens.

The selection criteria says a former player isn't even eligible for this honor until 10 years following his last game at the university.

That doesn't apply in this case.

"We think the world of Josh," Burman said. "There's no better ambassador in the history of this place than Josh Allen. We have great plans for Josh, but we want him to be here."

Allen is often spotted wearing Wyoming gear, specifically a number of different ball caps. He also says "Go Pokes" when he's announced on television before nationally televised games.

After his name was called on draft day, Allen walked on stage and showed off the lining off his jacket. It was littered with Steamboats, the school -- and state's -- primary logo. That shiny bucking horse emblem also appeared on his left lapel.

"I love all my guys," he said with a smile that night in Arlington, Texas, before unbuttoning his suit coat. "I got to show this a little bit, got the Wyoming Pokes on, on the inside of my jacket. shoutout to you boys, I love you guys."

The university last February purchased a reported 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl, featuring Allen and the slogan, "Where Real MVP's Are Made." That cost a reported $2 million. This November, the school will also serve as a primary sponsor for a Bills home game inside Highmark Stadium, according to a source familiar with the agreement.

"We still want to recognize Josh and get him back in War Memorial Stadium, and we are working on it all the time," Burman said. "And I'd say, he wants that, too."

- University of Wyoming’s Top 50 Football Players