Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Over the weekend, crews went to work along the South façade of the historic Statler building putting up a massive Gatorade billboard of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen with the iconic phrase, "Is it in you?"
As many Western New Yorkers returned to work in Downtown Buffalo on Monday, they got a chance to get a good glimpse of the massive billboard that stands 11 stories tall and overlooks Niagara Square.
"I think this is great, and I think it's really cool. It's like a sense of community," said Alexia Calcatera from Amherst. "It's bringing people together, and it's really historic that building, the Statler. It's great."
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"I think it's awesome. I mean, it's beautiful for the city, it's beautiful for the team. It's a great thing going on here," added Dwayne Foster from Buffalo.
For some, the massive Allen billboard is inspiring, especially given the back story behind the Bills quarterback.
"I like Josh Allen. He's got a good story behind him, and he's bringing good news to the city," said Shay from Buffalo.
"I got a feeling if Josh sees it - I'm sure he has - he's going to be slightly embarrassed by it," joked Jeremy Urbanski from Williamsville. "But it is awesome. It's great to have a team that matters."
The billboard that rises above Niagara Square is not just symbolic of Allen, but also the Bills and the entire Western New York region.
"He's a very big presence in Buffalo, you would think he's a local. He's great," Calcatera said.
"He puts his cape on every game. Josh Allen is really an asset to the team, asset to the community. Great to have him in Buffalo," added Foster.
The way the billboard is laid out is very reminiscent of when Cleveland put up a massive billboard of hometown hero and NBA great LeBron James during his two tenures as a member of the Cavaliers.
Over his first few years in the NFL, Allen may not have been getting the respect or notoriety many fans felt he deserved. Over the last few years, though, that narrative has changed quite a bit, and this billboard is another example of the level of respect Allen has garnered around the sports landscape.
"At the end of the day, we all started from nothing. The Bills started from nothing," said Curtis from Buffalo. "I feel like the Bills are definitely going to go to the Super Bowl."
"I think he's worthy of it. He's always been pretty humble, and I think he's always been an underdog and overlooked," Calcatera added. "And I actually read something that he was the biggest s*** talker, so that's great. Good for him."
For many Bills fans, they feel the proof is in the pudding, when it comes to others around the football world starting to respect Allen.
"He showed the character as a person, as a team player, and just an all-around sportsmen. He's a great guy, so it's good for the city and everything," Foster said.
"He's showing and proving himself. Respect is earned, it's not given, and he's earning it. He's making a name for himself, I like it. Making a good name for the city," Shay echoed.
As for Urbanski, he feels Allen still doesn't get the recognition he deserves. However, with the Bills already being 2-0 and a matchup with the 0-2 Jacksonville Jaguars coming up next Monday night, that may turn the tide for many when it comes to the Bills quarterback.
"I think a lot of people wrote the team off this season, but being 2-0, I mean, let's go!" Ubranski exclaimed.
"And Arizona had an impressive win [Sunday over the Rams], so it made that [Week 1] win more impressive for us."
As for the rest of the team, many are excited to see what lies ahead for the Bills after their hot start to the regular season.
"Honestly, they never disappoint. I think they're great," Calcatera said. "I think last week, James Cook too, let's throw him in there, he's great. I have high expectations of them."
"They've got a lot of momentum behind them, they've got the city behind them. I think it looks good," added Shay. "They're doing good. They're on the right path. They need our support. Go Bills!"