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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y — With a lane opening in the middle of the field, Josh Allen tucked the ball and took off. Allen, then an 18-year-old quarterback for Reedley College, quickly faced four defenders closing in from all sides.
But instead of juking or sliding, Allen did something unexpected. He leaped.
“I remember the very first time and I was like, ‘Holy hell, I can’t believe he did that,’” said former Reedley offensive coordinator Ernie Rodriguez. “And then, these runs and making people miss. The first time I saw him do it, I think might have been his very first start [against Fresno City]. And that was against our rival. So, it was a big game.”
Long before the Buffalo Bills quarterback got buzz during his rookie season by hurdling over then-Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr in 2018, Allen was hurdling defenders in junior college.
“What’s crazy is I see all these analysts and all these people on TV, like being amazed by what [Allen] does, but I saw it every day before anybody,” Rodriguez said. “He didn’t do it in high school, that wasn’t his thing. So, the speed aspect [he brought] was a big plus. I didn’t know he was that fast, that was huge.”
Allen has become known for those “wow” moments when he seemingly leaps over defenders with ease. Even while dealing with a UCL injury in his right elbow he suffered in the loss to the New York Jets, Allen’s dynamic nature as a rusher hasn’t changed. He leads the team in rushing (561) and rushing touchdowns (5) as the team prepares for a meeting Thursday at the New England Patriots (8:15 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime). The Patriots have allowed the seventh-most rushing yards to quarterbacks this season.
When asked what goes through his head when he’s up in the air, Allen referenced the lead character in the movie “Talladega Nights.”
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