Getty Josh Allen throws a pass against the New England Patriots.
The fashion world has what’s become known as the “Meghan Markle effect,” the rush to buy a dress or bit of jewelry after the Duchess of Sussex is seen wearing it that can often leave the smaller fashion outfits she picks overwhelmed.
In Buffalo, there’s apparently now the “Josh Allen effect.” On Sunday, as the Buffalo Bills were handing the Houston Texans the worst loss in the franchise’s history, many of the team’s fans were reaching out to quarterback Josh Allen’s high school seeking to buy the team hoodie that Allen wore to the stadium before the game. The attention grew so great that Allen himself stepped in to help meet the need for his former team’s gear.
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Allen’s Fashion Statement
On his way into the stadium on Oct. 3 before the 40-0 dismantling of the Texans, Allen decided to take it all the way back to his high school days, wearing a Firebaugh Eagles hoodie. While Allen also sported a hat with the Wyoming logo, it was the red and blue Firebaugh logo that became an immediate hit with fans. Bills supporters have already taken to supporting Allen’s entire underdog football career, with some even wearing his No. 17 jersey from the University of Wyoming to games.
Many of those fans took to Twitter, tagging the high school’s account and asking where they could buy the jerseys. Unfortunately for those Bills fans, the hoodie that Allen wore was from an outdated connection, but the school said it would work on getting other official gear available for purchase.
“We appreciate all the love from Bills Mafia! This is an original sweatshirt we no longer make,” the school tweeted. “But, when we open our online team store with current gear in a week or two we will tweet the link.”
Allen even jumped in, asking Bills fans to be patient while his high school worked out a way to get together the gear they so desperately wanted to buy.
Allen’s High School Connection
Allen’s path from high school to junior college to Wyoming to the NFL has become something of a legend among Bills fans. Though he had what Jeff Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports described in 2017 as a “storied” high school career that included tearing up defenses across central California, Allen went largely unnoticed by colleges. The only college to show interest was nearby Fresno State, but the team’s coach cut off contact with Allen and targeted another quarterback prospect instead. He instead went to Reedley College before taking the only Division I offer he got, the University of Wyoming.
Allen’s small town could have played some part in that, Eisenberg hinted. The rural location kept Allen away from some of the state’s larger schools and powerhouse programs that typically get the most attention from college scouts.
“Whenever people ask where we’re from, we always have to say Fresno,” Josh’s mother, LaVonne Allen, told Eisenberg. “Firebaugh is such a small town that unless you work in agriculture, you probably wouldn’t know it. It’s very much off the beaten path.”
Josh Allen wearing a Firebaugh Eagles hoodie
Thanks to Allen, Firebaugh is getting plenty of national attention now.
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