Bills quarterback and Central California native Josh Allen has a reputation for staying after practice and giving as many autographs as he can. It’s a habit he learned from another California legend.
Allen told longtime NFL reporter Peter King that an experience with Buster Posey when he was a young boy shaped his perspective to this day.
There’s a really cool story. I don’t know if he minds me telling this story, but I was a big Giants fan — Giants, 49ers, Warriors. I went to a Giants game. I got a Buster Posey ball.
He came by, he signed for me. I was so excited. I went to grab the ball and my finger swiped across the name, so it had like streak marks in it. You could barely make it out. But I still put it up in my room.
Much later, I ended up going to my agency in Nashville, [Creative Artists Agency], and I actually talked to his agent and I told him that story. A week later, I’ve got a bat signed by Buster Posey. So, Buster, thank you, big fan obviously. That was pretty cool. That was probably my biggest one. We had a Jerry Rice [signed] ball. I think we had a Steve Young [signed] ball at one point. So, it was pretty cool.
Again, I remember being that kid, wanting the autographs, looking up to guys in my position. It’s the least I can do to wave, high-five, fist-bump, maybe sign a little something here and there. I can’t sign everybody’s, but I try to.”
Posey’s influence and professionalism as a baseball player undoubtedly had an effect on those who played with him and watched him growing up. It turns out he’s influencing players in other sports too.
