'He transformed the state': Retired Wyoming coach Craig Bohl visits Josh Allen at Buffalo Bills camp

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Before Josh Allen was a Buffalo Bill, he was a Wyoming Cowboy. Those years in Wyoming catapulted Allen into the national spotlight and ultimately helped him become a first-round pick.

But what was the Bills quarterback like during his college days? Well, his head coach, Craig Bohl, said he was actually much like he is today, just a bit less polished.

“Your instincts as a head coach can sometimes be really helpful,” Bohl said on Tuesday. “My instincts said there was greatness to him, and it was going to take a little bit to develop, and he certainly did.”

Bohl was in Orchard Park on Tuesday to watch practice and catch up with his former quarterback. It was the first time Allen and Bohl had seen each other in several years, but the love for one another had only grown as time passed.

WATCH: Retired Wyoming coach Craig Bohl visits Josh Allen at Buffalo Bills camp

“There are a lot of good stories and obviously (he) was very influential in my football career,” Allen said. “Very glad to see him, and it’s been a while, and I know he’s doing some cool stuff with college football right now, and he’s an awesome human being.”

Allen’s play in the pros resembles a lot of what he did in college, like never refusing to give up on a play or sliding instead of trying to gain an extra yard or two. Over time, the Bills have had to reel in Allen’s game a bit, which was something his former head coach was quite adept at doing.

“I cannot tell you how many times I talked to him about those things,” Bohl said with a smile. “I think they’ve worked that out of him a little bit because I cringe when I see him jump over a guy or something like that, just maybe slide, but I think that’s part of his greatness.”

“He’s a fantastic coach, but he didn’t do great in that aspect of getting me down to slide, but that’s my fault,” Allen said.

Bohl insists he always knew Allen had superstar potential, and that’s why they brought him to Wyoming in the first place. But sometimes even he can’t believe how his former quarterback has become one of the best players in the NFL and most recognizable players in all of sports.

“Sometimes I’ll sit by my fire and have a whiskey and sometimes think, that’s the MVP of the National Football League, I mean, that’s pretty remarkable," Bohl said.

Allen will be inducted into the Wyoming Sports Hall of Fame in September as part of the 2025 class. It’s just the latest honor on his laundry list of accolades, but one that means so much to his former fanbase.

“Without Coach Bohl or the University of Wyoming, I wouldn’t be here without them,” Allen said of the honor. “It’s very cool to be honored by something so close and near to my heart, so yeah, it’s a pretty cool achievement.”

“He transformed the state,” Bohl said. “Wyoming had enjoyed a proud history of great football way, way back, but we had fallen on hard times. He made people in the state proud and gave them a real sense of what we could accomplish. So for him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is certainly right, and I’m happy for him.”

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