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Walter Football’s Senior Draft Analyst Charlie Campbell and Senior Bowl Reporter Andrew Scavelli joined the media day to hear Allen’s thoughts on the Senior Bowl, possibly playing for the Cleveland Browns, his journey into the NFL, and much more. . They are reporting live from Mobile, Ala., and will be posting interviews throughout the week. If you want to see other 2018 Senior Bowl Reports, click the link. Follow me @walterfootball for updates, and stay tuned all week for tons of 2018 Senior Bowl coverage. |
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2018 Senior Bowl: Josh Allen Interview
by Charlie Campbell and Walter Football Senior Bowl Reporter Andrew Scavelli
Send Charlie an e-mail here: [email protected]
Follow Charlie on Twitter @draftcampbell for updates.
The heavy favorite to be the first Senior Bowl prospect drafted in the 2018 NFL Draft is Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen. As we reported in the Hot Press on Tuesday, some general managers think Allen’s stock could skyrocket at the combine as he will show off his great skill set. The 6-foot-4, 237-pounder Allen also is said to be a good kid and could impress in the team interviews.
Allen was one of the breakout quarterbacks in college football during the 2016 season. He put his great skill set on display as he led a potent offense. On the year, Allen completed 56 percent of his passes for 3,203 yards with 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He also ran for 523 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Allen was a redshirt sophomore that season, so he could have entered the 2017 NFL Draft, but he decided to return for his junior year. In his final collegiate season, Allen completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,812 yards with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. He notched five rushing touchdowns as well.
What are your thoughts on potentially having to turn around an 0-16 team?
“It’s a tough situation to come in as a rookie and expect to be perfect right away. I know that I have a lot of flaws as a quarterback, but getting an opportunity to go to Cleveland and help change the culture there, and to be a part of a really good young team and be the guy there would be special. They’re going to do what’s best for their franchise.”
Do you feel like your name should be included more when talking about the top QBs in the [2018 NFL Draft]?
“I really don’t feel that way. I don’t pay attention enough to feel like that. I actually train with Sam [Darnold] and live with Sam right now. We’re super good friends, and I really don’t care about all that stuff. I’m going to let my play speak for itself and go out here and compete and have a good time.”
Talk about how your hometown helped to develop who you are as a person.
“I grew up in a super small town with a predominantly Hispanic culture there. Growing up on a farm and watching my dad come in and out before sunrise and after sunset – he’s the most hard-working man that I know and my biggest role model, and I idolize him. I’ve always said that if I can become half the man he is, I’m going to be a great man. After learning from what he’s done throughout his lifetime and working extremely hard for his family, I’m picking up what he’s laid down for me.”
How do you think you would fare in a big-city environment like New York?
“I’ve never been in that environment, so I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to New York but I understand the media is a little crazier there than in most places. I’m there to play football, so if I’m fortunate enough to be in one of those cities, I’m there to play football first. There’s a lot of pressure that comes with being an NFL quarterback wherever you’re at, and I’m ready to tackle any situation that’s in front of me. I’m going to embrace any team that I go to. They’re sticking their neck out on a limb, so whatever team takes me will be getting everything I have.”
What do you say to teams when they ask you about your completion percentage?
“I’ve been working on that. Obviously, 56 percent is not anywhere close to what it needs to be. You can go look at the tape, but I’ve made a lot of strides from the previous season where I held onto the ball more. I didn’t throw as many interceptions and threw the ball way more and was more careful with the football. There’s always a constant battle trying to perfect your game, and that’s kind of where I’m at right now, just making sure my stroke is consistent.”
Did you consider not playing in your bowl game because of your shoulder injury?
“I wanted to play. I hate not playing football, and that coaching staff was the only ones to ever offer me [the opportunity], and I felt that I owed that to them being the senior captain that I was. I felt like I owed that to my teammates to go out and compete one more time.”
What do you want teams to learn about you this week?
“I want them to know the type of person I am. I want to clean up my stroke and see that everything is consistent to help my accuracy numbers go up. I want teams to see that this guy is picking up the offense quickly and when he gets into our system he’s going to do the same thing.”
Why should an organization have confidence in you to be the face of their franchise?
“I’m the ultimate competitor. I’m not going to bow down to anybody, and my main goal is to win. I’m a team-first guy, and I’m going to do everything in my power to put my team in the best position possible to win football games.”
How do you describe your leadership style?
“I lead by example. This past year, I had to use some more vocal leadership because we lost so many seniors. The previous year, all I had to do was go out and play football, so this past year really developed my leadership qualities. I’m thankful to have had that year. It was difficult sometimes not knowing how to treat a certain player, because everyone reacts differently to certain kinds of leadership, so I try to learn what the guys like and adapt for them.”
Do you see a similar skill set between you and your mentor, Carson Wentz?
“You see the tall, mobile and strong-armed guy, so in that sense we’re alike. We ran the same offense in college, so the transition from terminology and concept-wise is going to be fairly easy from what he told me. It’s not going to be easy, but it’s going to be fairly easy.”
Talk about your experience of playing in the Wyoming weather.
“I embraced it. I actually like throwing in the cold, because, for some reason, it makes my hand grip better to the ball. We played in a lot of conditions – snow, rain, sideways rain – and it was the best thing for me. I was able to experience a different type of climate and atmosphere instead of just throwing in 75 degrees day in and out, so it’s definitely going to help me in the long run.”
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2018 Senior Bowl Interview - Tyquan Lewis
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2018 Senior Bowl: Wednesday's Rumor Mill
2018 Senior Bowl Interview - Josh Allen
2018 Senior Bowl Interview - Will Hernandez
2018 Senior Bowl Interview - Akrum Wadley
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2018 Senior Bowl Tuesday's Practice Report - South Team
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2018 Senior Bowl: Tuesday's Rumor Mill
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2018 Senior Bowl Weigh-In: Quarterbacks
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