Learning how to handle failure seems like an important step in finding success at any chosen endeavor. However, learning how to handle success might be even more important in the long run. No one has experienced a professional ‘180’ quite the way Josh Allen has this year.
From being virtually panned by all but a few diehards like myself to the toast of the NFL with ‘MVP’ labels being thrown around, Josh Allen must have vertigo. Four games into his third NFL season, Allen is now putting a profound exclamation point on his ability to rise above the vitriol.
So, what happens inside the noggin of a person in this unusual situation… when the court of public opinion suddenly reverses course and you are the darling of the league? There are few examples of this magnitude of change to compare with Allen’s rapid ascent in recent NFL history. Usually the ‘chosen ones’ are identified much earlier in their career.
I chuckle at the phrases used to ‘explain’ the sudden reversal of opinion about whether or not Josh Allen could improve his game enough to be a successful NFL quarterback. Statistical outlier might be my favorite phrase but unexpected development does give me a good case of the giggles as well.
So whatever is behind this warp speed reversal about Josh Allen’s ability to become a franchise quarterback the fact remains that level of volatility can wreak havoc on the brain. Just how does one mentally adjust to the change in the court of public opinion that once branded you a buffoon with a strong arm to the toast of the NFL in four weeks?
These are the questions that plague this old shrink or at the very least keep me entertained. It does take some mental fortitude to handle the switcheroo with the kind of grace Allen is reflecting outward at this time. A reporter recently asked him about the ‘Allen apology card’ going around on social media and he appeared very off balance and uncomfortable with the question. He only answered it with a vague reference that someone might have shown it to him.
It’s clear Josh Allen is getting a good dose of keeping his feet on the ground from his family. Father Joel is loaded with pearls of wisdom and Momma Lavonne looks out for all her children with love and affection anyone would be blessed to have.
I see an interesting set of emotions on Josh Allen’s face these days when he talks with multimedia reporters. Allen doesn’t seem to reflect any anger about being maligned and misunderstood by so many “experts” in the past, although there’s a very strong “I told you so” emanating from him at times when he speaks with reporters.
It doesn’t appear Allen believes the positive hype anymore than he did the negative hype dogging him until now. He seems to understand the idea that his current success has everything to do with the people surrounding him and helping him become the best version of himself.
Some people find sudden celebrity intoxicating and start to believe the hype. They are more than happy to talk about themselves and revel in the attention. Right now, curiously, Josh appears to be wrestling with how to navigate his way through the hyperbole.
If you watch Allen’s facial expressions when being interviewed now (as opposed to any interviews previous to this season), there is a marked change in his eye contact with reporters and it’s not just because the format changed using Zoom. He is overly polite, and averts his eyes more than he did in the past.
Although Allen doesn’t look entirely comfortable with his new found celebrity, he does appear to be graciously moving through the awkward part of flipping the script. If his success on the field continues to grow, he will likely become more comfortable with his new role over time.
The Bills are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of Josh Allen’s passionate love of the game of football. It sure beats hurling cantaloupe. If his career does continue on this trajectory, his story will be one for the ages. The skinny little noodle with clown feet who could throw a football like a rocket comes of age and becomes a legend in his sport.
And whoda thunk the heir apparent to Jim Kelly woulda come outta Wyoming? 🙂
~The Caboose~