Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen spoke at Alumni Arena on Wednesday as the Student Choice Speaker, hosted by the Student Association.
Allen was interviewed by Steve Tasker, a former Buffalo Bills wide receiver and current local sports reporter for MSG Western New York.
Wolf Blitzer, a UB alum and news anchor for CNN, also virtually asked Allen a couple of questions during the event.
Blitzer asked Allen what the Buffalo community means to him. Allen said Buffalo reminds him of his hometown of Firebaugh, California, making the move an “easy transition.”
“I’m part of this community. I love this community,” Allen said.
Allen spoke in front of hundreds of members of the Buffalo community about off-season training, team camaraderie among Bills players and what advice he’d give to current UB students.
Tasker spoke with Allen about Damar Hamlin being cleared to play this past Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest on the field during a Jan. 2 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Allen said he looks forward to working with Hamlin again and that his road to recovery has been “heroic” and “inspiring.”
“The things that we heard and the things that we were seeing that were transpiring in front of us, it was pretty heavy stuff — moments that will live with you forever,” Allen said.
“We continued to pray and I know the whole world really did and it’s really awe-inspiring to see it.”
Allen said most of the Buffalo Bills are back in training, with it being voluntary right now. He says his legs “feel like jello,” because of how many leg workouts he’s had.
Allen hopes to foster a stronger sense of camaraderie and brotherhood among the team to improve their play.
“The last couple of years have been good, haven’t been great,” Allen said. “We’ve got to finish the job and find a way to get over that hump.”
Tasker concluded the event by asking Allen what advice he has for UB students.
Allen said that people create their own future. When he was in college, he switched his major four different times and finally settled on social science in his senior year. He said to enjoy the process, even if it’s hard at times.
“Life is difficult, it really is. There’s not an easy way to go about it. There’s not a handbook about it,” Allen said. “You figure it out as you go — as long as you continue to keep learning and keep pushing forward.”
Kiana Hodge is a news editor and can be reached at kiana.hodge@ubspectrum.com
Katie Skoog is a features editor and can be reached at katie.skoog@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
