Welcome to the Joe Burrow show! Bengals quarterback has a LOT of swag
Welcome to the Joe Burrow show! The transformative Bengals quarterback has ‘ice in his veins’ and a LOT of swag… nicknamed ‘Franchise’ and likened to Tom Brady, he stands on the cusp of legend as he aims to lead Cincinatti to Super Bowl glory
- Cincinatti Bengals take on LA Rams Sunday in the Super Bowl in Los Angeles
- All eyes are on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, a superstar in the making
- He made history in college at LSU and is on the cusp of Super Bowl glory now
- Burrow is incredibly popular with other players and is likened to Tom Brady
Is there anything Joe Burrow can’t do? A born winner, he has so much swag he shrugs off wearing a real diamond chain and somehow you like him for it.
When he talks, people listen. Opponents gush about him almost as much as his team-mates. He has a habit of landing in the right spot and success is never far away.
He’s shrugged off the physical and mental scars of a gruesome knee injury suffered 10 games into his NFL career. In his next 20 games he has completely transformed the fortunes of the Cincinnati Bengals, who were the very definition of an ailing franchise.
Watching him play you begin to question the need for an offensive line. He acts as a coach on the field, positively encouraging pressure and hits. And then he makes pass rushers like Chris Jones appear mortal with improvised rushing plays. He can diagnose defenses in split seconds and his audibles are game-changers.
Joe Burrow has transformed the fortunes of Cincinatti Bengals as they head to the Super Bowl
Winning the Heisman Trophy in college, Burrow’s legacy is being written so early in his career
He has a natural swagger that endears him to team-mates, opponents and fans of the NFL
Off the field he tells youngsters to stay off social media and has raised $1.5million (£1.1m) for the Athens County Food Pantry, feeding needy families in his home county. And all this at the age of 25.
No stranger to outstanding quarterback play, Rob Gronkowski was asked which quarterback he most admired.
‘I kinda like this young buck quarterback. He’s in the Super Bowl now: It’s Joe Burrow, man.
‘I watched him in college. I just love the way he presents himself out on the football field. In the pocket, he’s just so calm and he just slings it out on the field. I just love his swag, too.’
And get this from pass rusher Von Miller, the man who shattered Cam Newton’s confidence on his way to winning Super Bowl MVP six years ago, and who will line up against Burrow for the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
‘It’s the Joe Burrow show. Don’t forget it now. This guy is the real deal. I don’t like making comparisons to anybody else. Joe Burrow is his own guy, but you definitely see shades of Tom Brady in this guy.’
Going back to his college career, Burrow was a four-star recruit heading to Ohio State in 2015. He spent more than three years there but after redshirting his first season would only play 10 games.
First back up to JT Barrett (now of the Edmonton Elks), when he realised he would then play second fiddle to Dwayne Haskins (of the Pittsburgh Steelers, for now), Burrow transferred to LSU in 2018.
The 25-year-old took on an ailing franchise and is now putting on the ‘Joe Burrow Show’
His impressive performances have seen some of his peers liken him to Tom Brady (pictured)
It was here that magic started. With an offense featuring Ja’Marr Chase, Justin Jefferson and Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Burrow’s trademark locker room cigar celebrations sparked many a meme.
His second season is regarded as one of the greatest in college football history, finishing 15-0 with a national championship and a Heisman Trophy.
As he picked up the latter award in New York, 23-year-old Burrow caused a stir worldwide.
‘Coming from southeast Ohio, it’s a very impoverished area,’ he said in tears. ‘The poverty rate is almost two times the national average, and there’s so many people there that don’t have a lot.
‘I’m up here for all those kids in Athens and in Athens County that go home to not a lot of food on the table, hungry after school – and you guys can be up here, too.’
Donations poured in to the value of $650,000 (£480,000). The Joe Burrow Hunger Fund has raised over $1,500,000 (£1.1m) to date.
Burrow is one of four LSU Tigers to feature in Sunday’s game. He had met Odell Beckham Jnr in the Tigers locker room but on Sunday they will be rivals. It doesn’t stop the respect.
‘I think if you look up the word “cool” in the dictionary there should just be a picture of him. He’s going to be one of the greats. I really believe that,’ Rams receiver Beckham said on Monday.
Burrow has ‘ice in his veins’, which he showed in Kansas City to win AFC Championship game
His incredible partnership with Ja’Marr Chase (right) has been developing since college days
‘Getting to meet him championship time and going back and kind of just kicking it with him, you can’t help but like this guy.’
Taken as the No 1 overall pick in the 2020 draft, the Bengals went 4-12 in a season derailed by Burrow’s injury.
Another former LSU Tiger who speaks highly of Burrow is Andrew Whitworth, the NFL’s oldest active player.
The left tackle, 40, switched protecting Burrow’s blind side in Cincinnati for that of Matthew Stafford with the Rams in the offseason.
But before that, he sprained the MCL and PCL and his left knee around the same time Burrow tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee.
‘He kind of took me in and we had some good times hanging out, watching football, and talking about the Bengals and LSU and all that,’ Burrow said. ‘So he’s become a good friend.’
After their first spell convalescing, Whitworth texted Bengals head coach Zac Taylor.
‘I said, “Man, you got a special one”. We all knew from the talent, the ability he played with in college, how good he was going to be. But sitting with him for that full day, I realised, “Man, this guy’s going to be a really, really special quarterback for quite some time”.’
In last year’s draft, the Bengals did not bring in a replacement for Whitworth, allowing Penei Sewell to head to Detroit.
Instead, they picked Burrow’s LSU team-mate Chase with the fifth pick. And just as in college, the results have been spectacular.
Burrow was the No 1 pick in 2020 draft and he is now showing everyone why Bengals did that
Their three seasons together – two at LSU and one in Cincinnati – have yielded 206 catches for 3,801 yards and 37 touchdowns.
The Bengals went 10-7 in the regular season, winning the AFC North. They sealed their first playoff win since 1991 with victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.
The next week, after overpowering the Tennessee Titans, the AFC’s No 1 seed – a game where he was sacked nine times – Burrow made his feelings known.
‘I’m tired of the underdog narrative,’ he said. ‘We’re a really, really good team. We’re here to make noise and teams are going to have to pay attention to us. We are, like I said, a really good team with really good players and coaches and we’re coming for it all.’
With a trip to Arrowhead the following week, his words were easy to overlook. No longer. Burrow led the Bengals back from 21-3 down against the might of Patrick Mahomes to seal their first place in the Super Bowl since the 1988 season.
After the game, he sported a chain and was asked if the diamonds were real.
‘They’re definitely real. I make too much money to have fake ones,’ he said.
When you see it written down, it may grate, but somehow when Burrow says it he’s likeable. It’s a tough trick to pull off.
Not many could pull off being cocky about wearing bling and still be liked, but Burrow does
And when he was asked this week for advice to give younger players, Burrow replied: ‘Focus on getting better.
‘Don’t have a workout and post it on Instagram the next day and then go sit on your butt the next day and everyone thinks you’re working hard but you’re not.
‘Work in silence. Don’t show anyone what you’re doing. Let your performance on Friday nights and Saturday nights and Sunday nights show all the hard work you put in. Don’t worry about all that social media stuff.’
And on playing quarterback, his insight was equally valuable. ‘I think my favorite part about playing quarterback, there’s great players at every position in the NFL, but I think only a few really affect the game in a drastic way,’ he said.
Burrow is sick and tired of being labelled an underdog and goes to the Super Bowl confident
A generational talent to many, Burrow’s legend will elevate if he defeats the Rams this Sunday
‘I think quarterback is the one position on the field that can really affect the game on every single play. I like having the ball in my hands every play and being able to win or lose with me.’
Unsurprisingly, Bengals’ head coach is a fan too. While he may not be in the upper coaching echelons, Taylor’s lack of ego and ability to let Burrow run with the destiny of the franchise is a trait that should not be underplayed.
‘He’s built for this stage,’ Taylor said. ‘He’s played for state championships, national championship, now he’s playing for a Super Bowl. I think that’s been his expectation all along. He’s not surprised by it – he rises to these occasions.’
Bengals tight end CJ Uzomah explained what it’s like to hear Burrow at work.
‘He’s got ice in his veins. The utmost confidence. We have him in the huddle, we have his mind and his ability to analyse defenses and just be a leader. Just a presence. Ice-cold-blooded killer out there dissecting defenses. It’s great.
‘It’s why I call him “Franchise” – he is a franchise player, he can turn an organisation around. It’s not one person, it’s a team game, but he is a vital part of why we are where we are. He’s the man, dude. I love Joe.’
In the AFC there is no shortage of franchise quarterbacks. As this topsy-tupsy season has shown, there have already been some outrageous duels between some of the game’s elite signal callers. Josh Allen at the Bills, Mahomes in Kansas City, Justin Herbert at the Chargers.
On Sunday, Burrow goes toe-to-toe with gunslinger Matthew Stafford. If the Bengals win, he will join an elite class.
While the departing Brady has seven Super Bowls and Mahomes one, only two other quarterbacks – namesakes Namath and Montana – have won a national championship, the Heisman Trophy and a Super Bowl.
Do not put it past Burrow to continue to add to his legend.
‘He has always looked for that chip on his shoulder’: Burrow’s parents reveal all about Bengals star’s upbringing, his love for Cincinnati and how quarter-back will guide his team to Super Bowl glory
Cincinnati Bengals quarter-back Joe Burrow has led his team to the Super Bowl for the first time in more than three decades, winning him legions of fans in the city and across the state of Ohio.
Burrow was raised near the small college town of Athens, Ohio, where his father, Jimmy Burrow, worked as defensive coordinator for Ohio University’s football team until he retired in 2018. His mother, Robin, is principal of a local elementary school.
Burrow’s parents, at their Ohio home, here talk about their 25-year-old son’s childhood, his steady confidence under pressure, and how he will approach the battle with the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday.
Burrow’s parents, Jimmy and Robin, revealed all about Joe’s childhood and sheer confidence
What was Joe like as a kid?
Robin Burrow: Very similar to the way he is today. He was very focused on sports, very driven to do the best he could at whatever he did, whether that was just playing video games or in school or in his competitions in different sporting events.
People talk about his ‘coolness.’ Is that a new trait?
Jimmy Burrow: I think it’s his confidence in himself and just his ability to be a football player. In all the other sports too. He was always confident.
Robin Burrow: He has always been really focused on making sure that he’s prepared for whatever it is he’s getting ready to do, whether that was sports or academics or something else in life, and I think that just makes him confident.
How much do you worry about football and safety? Did you ever think of not letting him play football?
Jimmy Burrow: I think Robin would say after the injury last year maybe it comes across our mind a little more. But I was a coach for many years and I know it’s part of it.
Robin Burrow: We were very conscious and very deliberate about making sure that his helmet always fit well. We had his helmet fit to him and got shoulder pads specially measured to make sure that he had the right equipment and they fit correctly.
Jimmy Burrow: All the coaches that he’s had from third grade on were very safety conscious, and then we just added another layer with Ohio University. (The university’s) equipment guy has been a very good friend and we would just have him check his helmet.
Robin Burrow: When he was really little I might have added a couple extra pads … a couple extra hip pads on his bony little hips when he was little.
Burrow’s parents have supported their son’s football career strongly from a very early age
What’s your coaching advice to Joe for the Super Bowl?
Jimmy Burrow: It’s coaching cliches, but it usually is a big factor in wins and losses, and that’s protect the ball, make sure you don’t turn it over and make good decisions. That’s for him personally.
You’re always trying to run the ball on offense and the better we can do that, the more pressure that takes off our guys to protect against that great pass rush on defence.
On defence, you always want to stop the run. If you can prevent explosive plays, which is easier said than done against the Rams, you’ll put yourself in the position to have a chance in the fourth quarter.
Robin Burrow: My advice is definitely from a mom’s perspective. Enjoy the ride. Get out and have fun with your teammates … and focus on the plan and be confident.
Cincinnati has embraced Joe. How does Joe’s personality or story reflect the city?
Jimmy Burrow: I think the people of Cincinnati are hard workers. They understand that to get things done, you’ve got to put in the time, and Joe is right up that alley. He works hard. People respect that. He definitely puts in the time to prepare for the games and practices.
Burrow’s parents were by his side when he was drafted as the No 1 pick by the Bengals in 2020
Robin Burrow: I think Joe’s journey is kind of parallel to the Bengals’ journey. Success a while ago, like Joe had in high school.
Struggles the last several years, the way Joe went through at Ohio State, and then now we’re coming into what we hope will be a sustained few years, or several years … of success, like Joe experienced at LSU and now into the Bengals. I can see how the city might have embraced him because they can relate to his story.
Jimmy Burrow: He loves Cincinnati and loves playing for the Bengals. People feel an attachment to him and his personality and the fact that he speaks so highly of being a part of that organisation.
The Rams are favoured in the Super Bowl. How are you feeling about that?
Jimmy Burrow: (The Rams) are playing in their own city, in their home stadium. Joe’s always looking for something to kind of have a chip on his shoulder and to be the underdog. We’ve been the underdog the last two games, I believe.
I think he made some statements that they’re kind of tired of that underdog role.
Well here it is again, and so he’ll use that to mentally prepare himself to try to prove people wrong.
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