Before Chris Lillis interviewed Josh Allen about his Olympic dreams, the Pittsford native was a Buffalo Bills fan hoping to meet the quarterback at training camp.
This week, the two-time Olympic gold medalist connected with Allen over video for NBC Sports and asked the Bills star whether he’d represent Team USA in flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
It wasn’t the first time the two had met.
Lillis, who grew up a lifelong Bills fan with parents who still own season tickets, first posed for a photo with Allen during Bills training camp in August, with Allen trying on Lillis’ gold medal.
Lillis joked in an interview in January that one of his greatest accomplishments is that Josh Allen follows him on Instagram.
For Lillis, the interview marked another chapter in a relationship that had evolved from fan to fellow elite athlete.
Josh Allen tells Chris Lillis he’s dreamed of winning Olympic gold
Lillis opened the interview by telling Allen he grew up a huge Bills fan before congratulating the quarterback on becoming a father.
Allen turned the attention back to Lillis.
“Being a U.S. Olympic gold medalist is a dream that I’ve always had and I’ve never had the chance to accomplish it,” Allen said. “Congrats to you. That’s the coolest freaking thing.”
Lillis, who has two gold medals in mixed team aerials, smiled and reminded Allen that opportunity may still exist.
“That might not be true,” Lillis replied. “We’re going to talk about that.”
The conversation quickly shifted to flag football’s debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Allen said he’d gladly accept the opportunity if Team USA came calling.
“I would sign up tomorrow to be on the team,” Allen said. “I’ve always dreamed of competing for my country and being able to wear my own gold medal, but we’ll see how it works.”
Allen also acknowledged uncertainty over earning one of the roster spots.
“I don’t know if they’d want me,” Allen said. “I don’t know the ins-and-outs really of flag football. I watched maybe a couple months ago and it was a much different game than I thought it would be. But I do think that if there is a potential space, I would love to do it.”
Josh Allen explains what makes Buffalo different
Lillis also asked Allen what has helped the Bills build such strong chemistry during his eight seasons in Buffalo.
Allen’s answer had little to do with football.
“You need to buy into the whole Buffalo lifestyle,” Allen said. “There’s not a whole lot of flashiness to it. There’s not a whole lot of places where you can go explore and get lost and bright lights and clubs.
“But going over to people’s houses and going to team dinners and going to kids’ birthday parties, I do think that plays such a huge part in building a team. When you can trust somebody off the field, it makes it that much easier to trust them on the field.”
Allen said those relationships away from the facility translate to Sundays.
A Winter Olympian asks Josh Allen about skiing
With Lillis a two-time Olympic gold medalist in freestyle aerial skiing, the conversation turned to winter sports.
Allen said he grew up skiing before switching to snowboarding around age 10. That ended in seventh grade after he broke his left wrist attempting a jump.
His father encouraged him to focus on the sports that would eventually shape his future.
“He said, ‘Son, if you want to continue to play football and baseball and basketball, you can’t do this anymore,'” Allen recalled.
Allen admitted he still misses family ski trips.
“I love the family aspect of going to a ski resort and then skiing down, going to the lodge, getting hot chocolate,” Allen said. “Those are some of the best memories I had growing up.”
Asked which Olympic sport he’d choose if football weren’t an option, Allen first mentioned swimming before deciding he’d rather compete in another Winter Games event.
“I’d want to do a Winter Olympics,” Allen said. “Maybe a skeleton or luge or something like that. I think a lot of weight there would be beneficial.”
Lillis had another suggestion.
The Olympic aerial skier joked Allen might make a better push athlete on a bobsled team.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester gold medalist lands interview with Bills quarterback Josh Allen
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