Super Bowl Quarterback Has a Direct Connection to Iowa
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals did something this year they haven't done since 1991 -- they won a playoff game. Then they did something they hadn't done since 1989 -- they made the Super Bowl. And now they might have a chance to do something the franchise never has -- win the Super Bowl.
Burrow has had an illustrious football career -- more specifically, illustrious last three years of football. En-route to leading the LSU Tigers to a National Championship in 2019, he set the NCAA DI single-season records for passing touchdowns in a season (60), most total touchdowns in a season (65), most total yards in a season (6,039), and points responsible for in a season (392). He also won the Heisman Trophy.
Joe Sheisty exploded onto the national scene in 2019, and he hasn't given up his spot on the stage.
He went on to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, led the Bengals to their first winning record (10-7) since the 2015 season, passed for a franchise record 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns, and -- of course -- he's led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl. If he wins the big game in less than two weeks, he'll be the first player ever to win the Heisman Trophy, National Championship, and Super Bowl -- and he'll have accomplished it all in three years.
And believe it or not, he was born in Ames, Iowa! He spent the first four years of his life there.
Jimmy, Joe's dad, spent time as the Ames High School football coach, Iowa State assistant football coach, and Iowa Barnstormers assistant coach.
In regards to their time in Ames, Joe doesn't remember much. At least according to this dad:
He doesn’t remember anything about Ames; only what we’ve told him. He went to Ames High School games when he was just a few days old when I was coaching. But ultimately, what he knows is what he’s been told. He was pretty young back then.
He told the Des Moines Register prior to Joe's Heisman Trophy win.
The Burrows eventually moved to Athens, Ohio, where Joe became a star on the gridiron, eventually earning himself a scholarship to Ohio State University. Early in his tenure as a Buckeye, though, a hand injury derailed any hope he had of competing for the starting position, and he determined his best option would be to transfer to LSU. Needless to say, it turned out he was right.
Burrow has a genuine attachment to the state of Ohio, despite his decision to head south for a couple years. I mean, who wouldn't? It's where he grew up, where he spent formative college years, and now, where he plays professionally.
Imagine if his parents stayed in Ames, though (Joe did consider Iowa State when he decided to transfer from the Ohio State program). Imagine if he felt that connection to the Hawkeye State. Imagine what the Cyclones or Hawkeyes could have been.
Burrow and the Bengals will face off with the Los Angeles Rams on February 13 at 5:30 PM.