Column: Bills' Josh Allen says donations in honor of 'Grammy' are 'unbelievable'

A quarterback is so much more than a quarterback. He's a person with a family, with people he loves and who love him. It's a bond that doesn't change with time or the fact countless others know his name and recognize his face and pay attention to all that he does and says. 

That was the Josh Allen who spoke with reporters on a video call Wednesday.

Most of the discussion had nothing to do with the Buffalo Bills' 7-2 start or what sort of encore Allen might have for his lights-out performance in last Sunday's victory against the Seattle Seahawks. His being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week came up, but only in the context of whether it carried more meaning because he had played the game 24 hours after the passing of his grandmother, Patricia Allen.

On Wednesday, the main topic wasn't football.

It was the woman who a 6-foot-5-inch, 237-pound, tough-as-nails, 24-year-old professional athlete still calls his "Grammy."

"Just the sweetest, nicest lady you'd ever meet," Allen said in his first comments to the media since his grandmother's death became public Sunday. "Not a single mean bone in her body."

"Grammy" died unexpectedly Saturday, not long after her 80th birthday. The pain was still evident four days later.

Allen seemed to relish the opportunity to share what "Grammy" meant to him and his family, to let the many people who have passed along their condolences directly and indirectly understand how big of a loss this was to him and his family.

This was the woman who cooked "the most amazing food." This was the woman with whom he remembered spending holidays with his family in Firebaugh, Calif., and Fresno, Calif., after Patricia and her late husband moved there.

"I mean, she was a huge, huge supporter of myself," Allen said. "She went to all the high school games and she made a few NFL games. It's going to (stink) going on without her for sure.

"I wish I could have been there with my family and give them all hugs, but it is what it is. She'll be greatly missed and never forgotten, for sure."

Patricia's memory isn't only being embraced by her famous grandson and the rest of the Allen family.

In typical fashion, Bills fans and the Western New York community wrapped their giant arms of generosity around her memory as well. They did it by making donations of $17 to Buffalo's Oishei Children's Hospital, because of the charitable connection it has had with Allen since he joined the Bills in 2018.

As of Wednesday evening, Oishei reported the total surpassed $335,000 from more than 17,000 donors. The emotions that have been stirring in the Allen family since the weekend have only intensified with that unbridled outpouring of support.

"Words can't really describe how I feel, how my family feels," Allen said. "Every time I call my parents and let them know the new number, they just start bawling all over again. And to know that people care and that so much good is coming out of a tough situation, it means the world to myself, it means the world to my family.

"It just shows how this Bills community and this Buffalo community rally around each other and that's what they've been known for and that's what they're still known for. I mean, I can't thank everybody who supported and donated, I can't thank them enough. It's overwhelming, for sure, but so much good is coming out of such a tough situation that you can't help but smile at it.

"It's unbelievable."

The same can be said for the way Allen handled himself after receiving the news Saturday that he said left him in shock and disbelief. He revealed that his parents initially didn't want to tell him of his grandmother's passing until after the game so as to not "burden me with a heavy heart."

Once they let him know, Allen said he never gave any thought to not playing against the Seahawks. He said that "Grammy" would have wanted him to play "and to play how I usually play, the fun that I have out there and the sense of pride I have when I put on that uniform and I represent the Buffalo Bills and represent my family. That's all I kept telling myself was that I was doing this for her and I knew she was with me on the field."

Of course, after doing his best to "put on a brave face" and keep "a cool head," Allen did far more than just play. He equaled a season and career high with 415 passing yards, three touchdowns through the air and one rushing. Besides AFC Offensive Player of the Week recognition, Allen also was named the FedEx Air NFL Player of the Week.

That was all well and good, but none of those accolades could top the sheer elation of having the sort of game that would have brought some of the loudest cheers from "Grammy."

"To go out there and play for her and to do it in her honor, all my family was all together watching, I mean, I don't think it could have been a better tribute," Allen said. "She was a huge Bills fan."

A few times during Sunday's game, Allen would look up and point his finger to sky. It was his way of letting "Grammy" know that she was in his heart with every completion and touchdown.

"I had some words for her," he said. "It was a long 24 hours."

After the game, Allen called his family. They did what families do when they lose a loved one. They cried together.

"But (his mother and father) both said, 'She's got the best seat in house, her and Papa do,' " Allen said. "It was pretty surreal. It was a special moment for myself and my family."

Not many others outside of the Allen family were aware of his grandmother's death before or during the game. Allen said it was a small group that included coach Sean McDermott, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and "a couple guys in the quarterback room."

"Honestly, I think few guys didn't really know what was going on even after the game when I kind of spoke to everybody," Allen said. "But just talking with some of the guys who had been through situations like mine, a guy like Mario Addison (who lost his brother last year) coming up to me, just giving me a big hug and letting me know like, 'We're going to get through this together.' "

At that moment, it wasn't a defensive end embracing a quarterback. It was brother hugging a grandson and sharing a bond called grief.