Josh Hines-Allen didn’t always have that hyphenated last name on the back of his Jacksonville Jaguars jersey.

When he entered the NFL as a highly touted draft pick, he was just known as Josh Allen.

Aside from the occasional confusion as his name overlapped with that of the Buffalo Bills‘ star quarterback, it wasn’t something anyone would’ve thought too much about.

But in the summer of 2024, Josh decided to change his name and go by Josh Hines-Allen going forward.

It was a decision based in family and honoring where he comes from.

Why Did Josh Hines-Allen Change His Name?

Allen wanted to honor his mother’s side of the family, which wasn’t previously done when he just went by Allen.

“I’ve always been a Hines, and legacy is forever,” Allen said at the time of the change.

Other members of his family had already represented the Hines-Allen hyphenated last name, he explained, “with so much pride and joy.”

𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀-𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻

Legacy is forever, and I’m proud to carry that tradition on the back of my jersey, following in the footsteps of my family, who have donned the Hines-Allen last name with so much pride and joy. https://t.co/8wAaj2hhpS

— Joshua Hines-Allen (@JoshHinesAllen) July 9, 2024

In that social media post that Hines-Allen made at the time of the change, he used the word “legacy” multiple times.

It’s clear that he went with the new last name to make a name for his family, and for himself.

Josh Hines-Allen’s Sister Myisha

Some sports fans may recognize that there’s another Hines-Allen in the professional athletics world: Myisha Hines-Allen, who plays in the WNBA.

The WNBA’s Hines-Allen has worn that last name on her jersey dating back to her days as a college star at Louisville.

Josh’s name change also allowed him to align with his sister and share a last name on the back of their jerseys.

Josh Hines-Allen Family

Hines-Allen has had a lot of athletes in his family.

His two other sisters, Kyra Hines-Allen and Latorri Hines-Allen, both played college basketball.

He also had two uncles play basketball with the Hines last name, including one who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in 1983 — Greg Hines, a 6-foot-7 power forward who starred in college at Hampton University and went on to play in the Continental Basketball Association.

Clearly, there are quite the athletic genes in the Hines-Allen family tree, and the Jaguars star is representing all of them in the NFL.