By Christian Lasher
In the world of super fans, Wyoming has “Cowboy Ken,” The Denver Broncos had the beloved “Barrel Man,” and the Buffalo Bills have 2022 Captain Morgan NFL Fan of the Year nominee, “Bills Elvis.”
John Lang has been going by that name since he accepted a challenge given by his friend in 1992. He bet him that he wouldn’t be able to get on TV at a Bills game. Lang went through his apartment, found an old suit, an old guitar, and let his wife paint on some sideburns and chest hair. He appeared on a broadcast of the Bills and legendary sportscaster Chris Berman from ESPN made fun of him on the air. From that moment forward his new persona was born.
This week, Lang brings his Elvis suit, painted guitar, and entourage to the plains of Laramie for the third straight year. He and his crew have been coming to the Gem City to watch the Cowboys play since 2021.
Lang says he loves coming to the college that made Buffalo’s quarterback Josh Allen a household name.
“There is a video on YouTube of the night Josh was drafted of the people watching it at the Buckhorn (in Laramie,) and a buddy of mine showed it to me. I said, ‘Oh my God, we have to go to that bar!’ My buddy said, ‘OK, let’s do this!’”
He called the owner of the Buckhorn and asked if they could do a tailgate at the Buck. The owner asked Lang, “Do you know what Josh means to our city? We would love to have you come here!”
Lang was sitting in a bar in New York when he asked his friends if they would like to join him on his trip to Laramie. About 15 people in the bar said yes, so at that point the planning began.
“I have a buddy who lives in Cheyenne, he said he could help with the logistics of the trip. So, I put something on social media. ESPN Radio called me saying they had gotten wind of my trip. They interviewed me asking what was going on, and then the University (of Wyoming) called me and said, ‘We’re gonna give you a tailgating spot!’”
“It evolved from that, and all of the sudden we had hundreds of people standing around our tailgate, everyone having a riot, and it really grew from there. We made so many great friends right off the bat, It’s just amazing.”
With all his appearances, Lang donates funds to charities that are near and dear to his heart. The Patricia Allen Fund (named after Josh Allen’s grandmother) and Climb Wyoming are the recipients this week.
Lang says he will have many items to buy and bid on this week in Laramie to help raise money including T-shirts, banners, coozies, and one of his famous painted guitars.
“Last year we made over $3,000 total, I would love to do more than that so we can donate to both charities.”
Serving all 23 counties in Wyoming, “Climb Wyoming’s” mission is for low-income single mothers to discover self-sufficiency through career training and placement.
Climb annually serves over 1,000 low-income single mothers and 2,000 children through their suite of services.
Brittany Wells Gray is the Statewide Director of Stewardship for Climb Wyoming. She says, “We are grateful to John Lang and his crew who continue to support us when they come back to Laramie each year. Their involvement not only enhances the organization's visibility introducing Climb to families who may want to do the program but also inspires donors who want to provide critical support and bring attention to the important work being done in Wyoming. This is the perfect example of when fun and fandom combine for a good cause.”
Another charity Lang supports, the Patricia Allen Fund, was started with the help of Josh Allen and his family to provide ongoing support to the pediatric critical care team at the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital in Buffalo.
When talking about his passion of giving to charities, Lang tells us he recently did a tailgate in Western New York where they raised around $15,000 for kids escaping drugs. These opportunities are special to him. He says, “I just feel so blessed to do so many neat things”
Lang’s persona as “Bills Elvis” has afforded him some amazing opportunities. From being in commercials for Pepsi and Nike to appearing at countless other events.
He was inducted into the Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. The organizers even flew in Chris Berman, the very man who made fun of him on national television, to induct Lang into the Hall of Fame.
Lang is unable to name just one thing he was most proud of. One moment last season does stick out in his memory though.
“The Bills call me about once every three weeks to do something for them, which is pretty cool. They asked me to come to the stadium and bring my stuff, so I said ‘sure!’” Once he got there, the organization told him he was going on the field to tell Bills Offensive Tackle Dion Dawkins that he had won the Walter Payton award.
Little did he know, Dawkins had some news for him too. Lang recalls, “Dion said, I have something to tell you, and I was like, ‘No, I’ve got something to tell you!’” He then looked up and saw a message on the scoreboard reading, “Congratulations John! Way to go, Elvis!”
Lang said he was shocked and exclaimed, “What the heck is going on around here?’”
At that point Dawkins told Lang, “You are the Bills’ Fan of the Year!”
Lang followed suit and told Dion that he had won the Walter Payton award. Lang says, “That was really, really cool!”
Although Buffalo didn’t make it to Phoenix last winter for the big game, the team was represented by “Bills Elvis.”
“It was really, really cool. It was VIP treatment all weekend. We got to go to the NFL Honors and Awards ceremony and dinner. They gave us Super Bowl tickets and we got VIP stuff before, during, and after. It was really cool!”
Despite all the fun of being a “Super Fan,” Lang says it is an honor to use his status to help non-profit organizations. The non-profits in turn love the work he puts in on their behalf.
“I appreciate how John has taken his rise to fan stardom and given back to so many charitable organizations. I think it just speaks to him as a person and how he wants to make an impact and use the influence he has. I think that is really special.” Brittany Wells Gray adds.
Does Lang talk to Allen about his trips to the Gem City? “I was at the Madden party this year when they put Josh on the cover of the video game…I told him, ‘You know the Buckhorn is for sale? and Josh said, “It is, really?” So, we shot the breeze a little bit there about Laramie.” Lang laughs.
You can meet “Bills Elvis” and his crew Friday the 22nd from 3:00-5:00 at Mulligan’s Pub and then after that at the legendary Buckhorn Bar.
If you don’t get a chance to meet them or yell “Go Bills” to them on Friday, Lang and company will be tailgating at War Memorial Stadium before the Appalachian State game on Saturday.
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