Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen isn’t all about football. He shared some thoughts on food, music and golf.
Josh Allen has emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL and has given the Buffalo Bills the franchise quarterback they have been looking for since the days of Jim Kelly. He has been fully embraced by Bills Mafia since they took him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft and Allen continues to find ways to connect with his fans and community.
He recently worked with Pepsi on an AR recipe experience where fans can have Josh Allen in their kitchen virtually and help them put together ‘Pepsi Pulled Pork Sandwiches’ to eat during the game.
I had a chance to talk with Josh Allen about this new digital experience among other topics like tailgating in general. Interestingly, tailgating was actually one of the first times Josh Allen can remember really falling in love with the game of football and told me about a time at a 49ers game with his dad.
“It was kind of like the first moment that I fell in love with football as far as I can remember. My dad and I were playing catch and I told him to throw it as far as he can. So he chucked that thing and I caught it and the whole crowd kinda went crazy, the people tailgating went crazy. My forearms were so bruised up from catching the football but it didn’t matter. The satisfaction I felt, one catching the ball and my dad throwing the ball as far as he can and two just the people going crazy for it, I was like ‘OK, I kinda want to do this.’”
When it comes to tailgating, food is a big component of that and during our conversation I asked him if there was any foods he had to have at a tailgate. For Josh Allen, pulled pork sandwiches are near the top of the list but a good old fashion cheeseburger is hard to beat for the Bills quarterback and brings him back to his childhood.
“I am a big pulled pork sandwich guy but I am just an old school hamburger with cheese, mustard, ketchup, mayo on a soft bun and wash it down with a Pepsi. It kind of reminds me of my Little League days, getting the little hamburgers on the charcoal grill. Still to this day I think I would take that over a gourmet burger.”
Music was another interesting topic that Josh Allen and I got a chance to talk about because fans usually want music to pump them up before a game. However, for Allen his playlist includes music that tries to keep him as calm and loose as possible with an interesting collection of older music.
“I have Sammy Davis Jr., Paul Anka’s ‘Put Your Head on my Shoulder’, Billy Joel’s ‘The Stranger’, and a couple Elvis, couple Frank Sinatra songs. It keeps me calm before the games, I try to be as loose as possible and it helps me do that.”
There is one song though that the Buffalo Bills quarterback has to listen to right before the game which is ‘That’s Life’ by Frank Sinatra.
Who would Josh Allen want to golf with if he put together his perfect foursome?
While Josh Allen doesn’t get to tailgate much anymore, one thing he does get to do away from football is golf. Last season, Josh Allen gave all his offensive linemen new golf clubs as Christmas presents and knowing that he is an avid golfer, I asked him who he would include in his perfect foursome.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the first name he was quick to mention is arguably the greatest to play the game, Tiger Woods.
“I got to throw Tiger in there,” Allen said. “I am a big Tiger Woods fan. He is probably one of the most influential athletes in my life. It was him and Kobe Bryant who were the two athletes that my heartbeat when they were in a pressure spot. I felt the pressure with them.”
After Tiger, Josh Allen took a moment to think about who would be the final two in his foursome before naming Kevin Kearns, Director of Communications for the Buffalo Bills, and his dad.
Our conversation then pivoted to who on the team is the best golfer. While Josh Allen mentioned a number of his teammates, it should come as no surprise as someone as competitive as Allen that he believes he would have a good shot at winning that title.
“I have heard Tyler Bass and Matt Haack are pretty good and Jordan Poyer is getting ok. I golf with Ike Boettger quite a bit and Tanner Gentry, he is one of my good buddies, I golf with him quite a bit. Mitch [Trubisky], Davis [Webb], Jake [Fromm] the whole quarterback room, we all golf. But if something is on the line, I am taking the cake.”
With knowing that golf swings are as unique as throwing motions, I asked which player on the Buffalo Bills has that Charles Barkley type swing. He took a brief moment before mentioning Harrison Phillips but also said the results are really good.
“He absolutely smashes the ball. It is unbelievable how far he can hit it.”
Whether it is the golf course or the football field, Josh Allen right now is tough to beat and would be a good person to have in the kitchen, even if it is virtually. Be sure to visit MadeforBillsWatching.com to include the Buffalo Bills quarterback in your preparation leading up to their primetime showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night.