While Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen has climbed to such a rarified status that he is now winning MVP awards and marrying A-list celebrities, it can be quite easy to forget that Allen got his start as a very raw player from a school in Wyoming that hasn't exactly been Alabama when it comes to producing NFL players.
From humble beginnings, Allen has started off on a legendary career that may end with a gold jacket and a spot in Canton. In recognition of that career, his alma mater is honoring him in the best way it knows how.
Allen will get his No. 17 retired by Wyoming on November 22. Allen is the best player in Cowboys history, and there is a very good chance that his title as the cream of the Laramie crop is never going to be surpassed by anyone who follows in his footsteps.
Wyoming to retire No. 17 for Bills QB Josh Allen
The odd thing about Allen's college career is that he was by no means a transcendent player. Allen's two seasons as the starter with the Cowboys produced consecutive eight-win seasons with a loss in the Poinsettia Bowl and a win in the illustrious Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Allen completed just 56 percent of his passes in yellow and brown, throwing 21 interceptions to go along with 44 touchdown passes in 25 starts. Still, the Bills were able to see that his physical gifts would be maximized in an offense that would surround him with the high-end professional talent Wyoming found it difficult to obtain.
In taking a risk on a junior college transfer with a laser arm, Craig Bohl and Wyoming changed NFL Draft scouting for the next few years afterward. Now more than ever, bigger and more raw quarterbacks with huge arms will be given the benefit of the doubt and taken higher in the hopes that the drafting team can find the next Allen.
Allen's star turn with the Bills shows that no matter where you may be playing, NFL scouts will find you if your talent truly shines through. If Allen puts some of his money behind the Wyoming program, the Cowboys could become one of the more consistent winners among midwestern Group of Five teams.