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During the NFL annual league meeting in April, the league changed its rule that allowed teams making the playoffs to avoid HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
Enter the Buffalo Bills, who will be the featured team during “Hard Knocks: Training Camp” in just a couple of weeks as teams get prepared to head to their respective facilities to gear up for the new year.
It’s the first time since the show debuted in 2001 that the Bills will be featured, and quarterback Josh Allen, the reigning MVP after a tremendous 2024 campaign, knows it’s going to be a different feeling with cameras all around when he gets back to Buffalo.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs against the Detroit Lions during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Rey Del Rio)
While speaking with Fox News Digital on behalf of Natrol, the drug-free sleep-aid brand he partnered with, Allen explained how he understands the excitement around watching the Bills get ready for a season.
However, there is one main priority that must be above all else in terms of HBO and NFL Films cameras being around.
“First and foremost, cannot let it become a distraction,” Allen said. “Got to keep the main thing, the main thing, and that’s trying to be the best we can be on the field. Making sure we’re doing everything right, and not letting the cameras distract us. I think that’s going to be a sign of a good team.”
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But Allen also understands that “Hard Knocks” provides fans with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most grueling sports in the world, allowing players to be humanized more, while letting their personalities shine throughout training camp battles.
Now that it’s a perennial playoff team that was just a few plays away from a potential Super Bowl last season, the hype and attention is even greater.
“For the longest time, ‘Hard Knocks’ was usually reserved for, I wouldn’t say bad teams, but teams that didn’t make the playoffs the year before,” Allen said. “I know they lifted that rule, and we’re kind of the first team that’s coming from the playoffs to be on it, in terms of the training camp portion of it. So, yeah, it’s going to be a little different, but we got a lot of veteran leadership in the locker room and a lot of young guys who we’re going to have to take on our shoulders and be like, ‘Hey, this is how we’re doing it.’
“Again, you want to be a star and the face of this and that and the other? Let your play take care of it. Still be yourself and let your personality out. I think Coach [Sean] McDermott has been doing a great job ever since I was rookie of making sure, whoever you are, be that person all the time, right? Being as authentic as possible is one of the greatest qualities that you can have, and this is no different.”
Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills works out after Buffalo Bills mandatory mini camp on June 12, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Bryan Bennett/Getty Images)
Since 2019, the Bills have made the playoffs every season, yet they have not made it past the rest of their AFC foes to reach the Super Bowl despite having a talented team, especially with Allen at the helm.
But with the goal remaining the same, fans will get an inside look at how McDermott, Allen and the rest of the team prepare for what is always a long journey ahead, with the final goal always being to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, which would be a first for a Buffalo squad.
“You’re going to see a lot of cool stories and cool personalities on our team,” Allen said.
BETTER SLEEP, BETTER PLAY WITH NATROL
Those vivid dreams Allen has can be credited to Natrol, which he believes can give him an edge this season.
“I only try to partner with brands that I fully believe in, and I think this next part of the process of my journey is unlocking that piece of my game and my life really. I do believe Natrol can help me do that,” he said.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws form the pocket during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium. (Tommy Gilligan/Imagn Images)
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Allen explained how melatonin products in previous years didn’t affect his body the way he had hoped, but during a trip home from Italy last offseason, he slept 10 hours after taking Natrol, and he said he was “all in” after that.
As a quarterback, being sharp and alert is a requirement all season long, no matter if it’s the film room, on the practice field, or in a game. Getting a good night’s rest is crucial, so whether Allen wants a melatonin product to adjust to the east coast time difference from his usual west coast stay, or a melatonin-free “Sleep & Restore” product, Natrol has everything he needs.
“I do fully believe that I haven’t been a great sleeper — my mind is racing. But every great performance starts with a great night’s sleep, and every great night’s sleep starts with Natrol. It’s a great tagline we like to say, but I truly believe this can unlock another part of my game, and I can still continue to get better,” he said.
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