The myth-busting rise of Josh Allen is part inspiration, part valuable lesson

If Josh Allen didn’t actually walk among us, all 6 feet, 5 inches, 237 pounds and 10⅛-inch hands of him, you’d swear he sprang from a screenwriter’s notepad.

His story could hardly be more storybook. A late-sprouter from the cantaloupe fields of Firebaugh, ignored by college coaches out of high school, who didn’t even start right away at Reedley College, is on the shortlist to be the No. 1 overall pick of the Cleveland Browns in Thursday’s NFL draft.

C’mon, Josh. Quit joshing us.

Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Baker Mayfield, the other projected first-round quarterbacks, went to USC, UCLA and Oklahoma, respectively. Marquee programs each. Allen played two seasons in the thin air and relative obscurity of Wyoming. Why? Because Wyoming and Eastern Michigan were the only FBS schools that offered him a scholarship.

“I was begging teams to give me a scholarship, sending emails out and hoping to hear back from them, and I got one opportunity,” Allen said during this year’s NFL scouting combine.

It looks so obvious now given Allen’s prototype size, arm strength, impressive mobility and intangibles. Watch him unleash a bolt of lightning to a sliver of the end zone, and yes of course he’s worthy of a nationally televised bear hug from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Except that sells short this young man’s journey (Allen turns 22 in May), one fueled by perseverance and self-belief.

Had Allen listened to the doubters, the ones who said he was too small to play FBS and questioned the level of competition he’d faced, he’d probably be in the family farming business (dad Joel Allen owns 1,000 acres outside Firebaugh planted with cotton, wheat and cantaloupe) instead of poised to receive a seven-figure signing bonus for slinging spirals.

Instead, Allen tuned out the noise and never allowed his confidence to waver. Which is part source of inspiration and part valuable lesson.

“It’s tough when you think you’re good enough and sometimes even know you’re good enough to be at the next level and college coaches aren’t reaching out to you,” Allen said last week during an appearance at the Firebaugh High gym, a building named after his late grandfather, A.E. “Buzz” Allen.

“If you really want something bad enough and you’re willing to work for it, you have to make sure your mind is completely set on your goal and your task at hand – and that doesn’t just go for sports.

“Throughout life if you have a goal in place, follow through with it. Don’t give up until it’s done. Don’t quit when things get hard. When it gets tough, you get tougher. When you get knocked down you get back up and keep going at it. That’s what I’ve known.”

Allen’s story contradicts so many established myths about what it takes to get to where he is. Let’s hope his example can help shatter three particularly false ones.

Myth No. 1: Young athletes should specialize in one sport

Besides football, Allen played baseball and basketball throughout his time at Firebaugh High. (With that arm, professional baseball also was a serious option.) As a 6-year-old he competed on a local swim team. He played one year of youth soccer, and he was so good by the end of the year teammates were calling him “Pele.”

Playing several sports made Allen a more well-rounded athlete, and person.

Myth No. 2: The bigger the competition, the better

Transfers in high school sports have become an epidemic, especially now that the California Interscholastic Federation permits athletically motivated moves. Coaches tell me the impact on smaller schools has been disproportionately large.

Allen could have joined that trend. His parents could have found some excuse to send him to a larger school in Fresno or Clovis. Instead he remained in Firebaugh. Beating rival Mendota (which the Eagles did in Allen’s junior year) meant more to him than elevating his personal brand.

“My dad always told me you bloom where you’re planted,” Allen said. “So that’s what we did.”

Myth No. 3: Avoid the community college route

The stigma couldn’t be more wrong, because community colleges provide an excellent launch pad. Without that one semester at Reedley College, which happened to coincide with a growth spurt, Allen never would have been discovered.

But even future first-round picks have to be patient, which is a lesson in itself. Allen wasn’t named the Tigers’ starting quarterback to begin the 2014 season. Until week 4, the job belonged to Sean Stell Jr.

“We have guys here that quit after one week if they’re not named the starter,” Reedley coach Eric Marty pointed out during Allen’s recent campus visit.

The lesson here, for young athletes with big dreams following in Allen’s footsteps and for their scholarship-hungry parents, is that if you’re good enough and work hard enough and persevere enough, colleges will find you. Even if you grow up in a two-stoplight town with no McDonald’s like Firebaugh.

“If there’s anybody, any kid out there that is from a small community that anybody’s telling them … they can’t do it, I hope that they can look at my story and find a source of inspiration and just know that it is possible,” he said.

No matter which NFL team drafts Allen, with a new fan base eager to adopt him, he’ll always be rooted in the Valley. His storybook success is ours, too.

This story was originally published April 25, 2018 at 12:50 PM with the headline "The myth-busting rise of Josh Allen is part inspiration, part valuable lesson."