LARAMIE — Ask anyone around town what they’ve heard about Josh Allen’s decorated return this weekend and it’s pretty clear the rumor mill has been churning at full speed.
The reigning NFL MVP is staying south of town. No, he’s at The Graduate by Hilton Laramie across the street from War Memorial Stadium.
But then so-and-so said he wasn’t going to come back at all and instead sending a video to be broadcast during Saturday’s halftime ceremony when his No. 17 jersey will be retired.
Don’t worry, others assure, there’s no way he would miss this celebration.
While an Allen spotting in the wild is highly coveted, it’s highly unlikely.
Even so, someone mused, wouldn’t it be great if the NFL MVP popped up for “Breakfast at the Buck,” a pre-game tradition at the Buckhorn Bar & Parlor downtown?
Whether speculating or reminiscing or eagerly anticipating the jersey retirement ceremony on Saturday, everyone in town is all-in on Allen.
“I don’t remember Laramie ever being like this,” said Denise Streeter, who was born and raised here. “What a perfect weekend.”
Part Of History
On Friday afternoon, there’s a steady stream of fans coming into The Brown & Gold Outlet in pursuit of the new Allen-themed merchandise.
“Ooh, a Josh Allen bobblehead, I need one of those,” one woman remarked to no one in particular, before picking up two of them, $30 each.
By early evening, the crowd is looking to quench their thirst at The Library Sports Grille & Brewery and 3rd Street Bar.
No matter what local business the fans are piling into, they’re really all in search of the same thing: To be a part of UW and Wyoming sports history, to be able to say “I was there” when Josh Allen made his first triumphant return to the university, town and state that reveres him.
“It’s a huge deal,” said Chancey Williams, the country music star from Moorcroft who returned Thursday night after a couple weeks in Nashville, where he attended the CMT Awards.
Even some students are willing to do something they might be reluctant to do most Saturdays: Get into line as early as 6 a.m. to secure one of the best seats in the student section.
While students today didn’t experience the Allen era (he was drafted in 2018), his full-circle return this weekend is almost akin to the second coming of Christ, said the UW Spiderman, a student who has managed to keep his true identity hidden since he donned his Cowboys-colored suit three years ago.
While the opportunity to see the Buffalo Bills superstar in the flesh is “huge,” it’s not enough to cause this elusive superhero to take off his mask and reveal his identity.
“I still have one more year,” he said.
Remembering Those College Years
Allen’s journey to Wyoming is now the stuff of legends.
He wouldn’t have become a Cowboy were it not for then-head coach Craig Bohl who was the only Division I coach to see potential in the kid playing quarterback at a community college.
While Allen soon became a standout star on the field, he just as quickly gained a reputation as a standout person.
As the student manager for the Cowboy football team for 25 years, Amy Danbro saw Allen as he navigated the changing demands of burgeoning fame — even if it really didn’t change him.
“He was always such a polite person,” Danbro said. “He was a super regular guy.”
Still, it’s almost surreal to Nolan Carter, owner of the Knothole and Pinebeach Apparel, that Allen has gone on to become the reigning NFL MVP.
“I was in school during that time, and it was a lot of fun to watch,” he said.
Carter has “100%” become a Bills fan all because of Allen, as has Williams.
The quarterback has always been easy to cheer for because he embraced Wyoming, and so Wyoming has embraced him as one of their own.
“He’s the perfect guy to represent Wyoming as a professional athlete,” Williams said.
Gearing Up
Leading up to the big celebration Saturday, business has been brisk around town.
“We’ve seen an uptick in people coming in strictly for the game,” Carter said, adding that business also picks up when locals are headed to Buffalo for a Bills game.
And it’s an all-hands-on-deck weekend for the employees at Brown & Gold, while the owners also hired extra staff for its six outlets in the stadium, said Dioselyn Alatorre, the store manager.
On Thursday, the store received 10,000 Josh Allen bobbleheads, and by Friday afternoon, nearly one-quarter of those specialty items had been packaged up and shipped off to people who had preordered them online, Alatorre said.
While Allen’s return to where it all started is exciting in and of itself, it’s also a boon for Laramie.
“Business-wise, it’s great for us, and same for all the businesses in town, especially the small, family-owned businesses,” Alatorre said.
Aren’t You Glad You Came To Wyoming?
As the night progresses, some of the rumors are getting more animated as the liquored-up crowd takes a break from the bars for some food at Almanza’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant.
That question of whether or not Allen is, actually, in town, is still on the minds of fans.
(Late in the night, it’s confirmed by photos shared by the university: He’s indeed in town.)
Still, that doesn’t stop people from musing about what they might say or what questions they might ask Allen, if given the chance.
At the Library earlier in the night, Streeter offered up her one-question suggestion.
“I would ask him, ‘Aren’t you glad you came to Wyoming?’”
