Josh Allen responds to offensive tweets before NFL draft: 'I was a kid, I'm not the same person'
On Wednesday, old, offensive tweets surfaced from former Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen as he prepared to be a first-round pick in the NFL draft.
The tweets in focus were published in 2012 and 2013 — at least two years prior to his enrolling at Wyoming — and some of them had racist tones.
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Allen spoke publicly about the tweets for the first time on Thursday when he was interviewed on the red carpet ahead of the NFL draft.
“I was a kid,” Allen said. “I’m not the same person that I was. Obviously we were young and dumb. Me and my friends, that’s what we did. We made mistakes. I own up to it. I’ve learned from it. I’ve learned throughout the way. This is just a reiteration of what I’ve learned through my journey.
“I love my family. I love my teammates. It’s a very embarrassing moment. But the support I got from my teammates at Wyoming and at my junior college has been outstanding. They know who I am. I know who I am. Obviously, it was not the best situation, but looking forward to the night.”
NFL Network’s Michael Irvin asked Allen, a projected top-10 pick, if he thought the tweets would affect his draft stock.
“I don’t think they will,” Allen said. “I hope they won’t. I think that I’ve spent enough time with the coaches who are picking me. I think that they understand who I am as a person, how I’ve grown the last few years. I hope they can see who I really am.”
Allen went seventh in the draft after the Buffalo Bills traded up with the aim of making him their franchise quarterback.
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