Despite playing for the Buffalo Bills in New York, Josh Allen has not forgotten the state that helped make him a football star.
On Sunday before the Buffalo Bills game against the Houston Texans (which the Bills handily won, 40-0), Allen was spotted on a video posted to Twitter walking into the stadium with a red hat bearing a familiar blue and white bison logo.
“That’s a good looking hat @JoshAllenQB,” the Wyoming Cowboy Football Twitter account wrote on Sunday.
Gov. Mark Gordon’s spokesman Michael Pearlman pointed out that Google Trend searches increased for the quarterback and Wyoming this weekend after viewers spotted him in the Wyoming hat.
“Josh Allen is a popular public figure and a Wyoming success story. Any time he showcases his connection to Wyoming is welcome visibility, both for the University and for our state,” Pearlman told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. “You can see the web search activity pick up after that clip and photos of him wearing the Wyoming hat aired.”
Around 100 people searched for “Josh Allen Wyoming” on Sunday morning before the game, about the time the clip would have been posted online. But scores of people continued to search for the two terms throughout the rest of the day and into early Monday.
The Wyoming Office of Tourism pointed out to Cowboy State Daily that in addition to Allen’s Wyoming hat sighting, Wyoming native Logan Wilson, who plays for the Cincinnati Bengals, was recently spotted sporting a hat from his home state.
“We love seeing our Pokes in the pros like Josh Allen and Logan Wilson still representing the Cowboy State,” Michell Howard, Senior Director of Brand Strategy, told Cowboy State Daily on Monday. “It is always great to have the state out there gaining attention and keeping us in the forefront for when our advertising does reach their view. It’s nice to see players showcasing their connection to Wyoming and getting our name out there for future travelers.”
In August, Allen signed a six-year contract extension with the Buffalo Bills for around $260 million, $150 million of which was guaranteed.
Last month, Allen had the nation’s top-selling jersey as the NFL headed into the fall season.
The jersey doesn’t come cheap, with both the blue and white jerseys of Allen’s costing around $120. However, a couple of his Nike-related jerseys are a little less costly, at $90.
