Jaguars linebacker Josh Allen reveals why he's changing his name
The Josh Allen conundrum can now be put to rest.
First-round NFL draft picks in 2018 and 2019, the two players with the same first and last names have been regularly mistaken for each other, even though they play vastly different positions on opposite sides of the ball.
On Tuesday, the Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker announced he's officially changing his name to Joshua Hines-Allen as a way to honor his family, several of whom have enjoyed successful careers as amateur and professional athletes.
"When you come from a rich history of athletic people in your family, and myself being the youngest one ... it was almost destined for me to follow in their footsteps," he said in a social media video announcing the change.
"It's going to be a surreal moment the first time I get my name announced ... Hines-Allen."
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Not to be confused with Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills quarterback, Hines-Allen set a Jaguars record with 17.5 sacks last season. After being named to the Pro Bowl for the second time in his five NFL seasons, he agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension with Jacksonville in April.
The SEC Defensive Player of the Year his senior season at the University of Kentucky, Hines-Allen was the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft by the Jaguars. He has already amassed 45 total sacks in his career, the second-most in team history.
Hines-Allen athletic legacy
The Jaguars linebacker is one of several accomplished athletes in the Hines-Allen family.
- Sister Myisha Hines-Allen is currently a professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics.
- Sister LaTorri Hines-Allen played Division I basketball at Towson
- Sister Kyra Hines-Allen played NCAA Division II basketball at Cheyney.
- Uncle Greg Hines was a star basketball player at Hampton and was chosen in the fifth round of the 1983 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors. Though he never played in the league, he did play professionally for over a decade.