NFL MVP Josh Allen Confirms Return to Laramie for Wyoming No. 17 Jersey Retirement
- Jeff Bugher
- Sep 4
- 3 min read
Number 17…Wyoming Football…That’s all you need to say in these parts for everyone to know who you’re talking about. Josh Allen's iconic number 17 will be retired at the University of Wyoming this fall. The 2024 NFL MVP revealed on the "Like a Farmer Podcast" that he will be returning to Laramie on November 22nd when the Pokes face the Nevada Wolfpack. Allen also gave a little shoutout to his former wide receiver, James Price, who serves as the wide receivers coach for Nevada. Additionally, Allen confirmed that he hasn't returned to Laramie since his NFL Pro Day in 2018. The news of Allen's jersey retirement confirms what I've heard from sources since late last year. The Cowboy Joe Club, a University of Wyoming booster organization, gifted number 17 jerseys to donors who committed earlier this spring, further indicating that something was on the horizon.
Joshua Patrick Allen, the zero-star football recruit raised on his family's cantaloupe farm in Firebaugh, California, was the kid who was overlooked and underestimated. Following no college offers, he chose to go the junior college route in 2014, attending Reedley College in Reedley, California. Allen sent emails to every college coach in the nation, trying to get a shot at the next level in college football. Wyoming was the only school to respond with a no-strings-attached offer. I still remember attending a 2015 Cowboy Joe Club event in Casper, where head coach Craig Bohl showed off his new signees…I remember Bohl telling the crowd that his junior college signee, Josh Allen will be very special to the program. Keep in mind, Wyoming was coming off a 4-8 season (2-6 in the MWC). For the casual fan, most people would say Craig Bohl was crazy for making a statement like that.
Josh Allen showed Wyoming fans what kind of player he was. A tall, statured QB showed up with a playmaking ability that meant doing whatever it takes to make a play happen, even when the play is falling apart. Ever seen a QB throw a dart across his body to the endzone while on the run? Ever seen a QB run from the home side of the field to the visitors' side? The things we saw Josh Allen do in the brown and gold are things we will cherish forever. I take pride in telling people that we got to see Josh Allen before the whole world knew who he was.
Injury cut his season short in 2015, where he only appeared in two games, with four completions on six attempts for 51 yards. 2016 was Allen's breakout year. He played in 14 games, completing 209 of 373 passes for 3,203 yards and 28 touchdowns, and that was just his passing stats. On the ground, Allen had 142 rushing attempts for 523 yards and seven touchdowns - and how could we forget: one receiving touchdown. The 2016 season was a coming-out party for Josh, culminating in a MWC championship appearance and a spot in the Poinsettia Bowl.
In 2017, Allen had already established himself as a serious NFL draft prospect. I remember seeing NFL scouts on the sidelines for each game that season. Josh played in 11 games, completing 152 passes out of 270 attempts for 1,812 passing yards. Touchdowns? 16. On the ground, Allen had 204 total yards on 92 attempts with five touchdowns. It’s important to note that Allen missed a couple of games due to an injury he suffered against Air Force on a trick play. Following his comeback from injury, Josh played in the Idaho Potato Bowl, where the Pokes defeated Central Michigan. Allen came away as the MVP of the game. That night, Josh Allen announced to the world on the blue turf that he was going to declare for the NFL draft.
In the 2018 NFL Draft, Josh Allen was selected as the seventh overall pick in the first round by the Buffalo Bills of Buffalo, New York.
Now the rest of the world has seen the kind of player that we saw in the brown and gold. A hurdling playmaker who gives everything he has on the field…now in red, white, and blue.
The Josh Allen story is still being written.
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