Joe Burrow is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. Before joining the NFL, he played college football at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he had a remarkable career. At LSU, he achieved the pinnacle of college football success by winning the prestigious Heisman Trophy and leading his team to victory in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship. Burrow's exceptional talent was evident during his college years, leading to his selection as the first overall pick by the Bengals in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Wade Wilson set the record for most times sacked in a single postseason in 1987, a record later broken by Joe Burrow in 2021.
In 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals reached the Super Bowl for the first time since 1988.
In 2021, the Cincinnati Bengals won their first playoff game since 1990, ending a long drought.
In 1993, Warren Moon set the record for most sacks in a playoff game, a record later tied by Joe Burrow in 2021.
Joseph Lee Burrow was born on December 10, 1996. He would later become an American football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the NFL.
In 2001, Rohan Davey set a passing record for LSU with 528 yards against Alabama. This record was highlighted when Joe Burrow's 471-yard performance in 2019 came close to breaking it.
In 2001, Rohan Davey set the LSU single-season passing yards record, which would later be broken by Joe Burrow.
In 2002, at age five, Joe Burrow attended the Rose Bowl because his father was an assistant coach for the University of Nebraska. This early exposure to football would later influence his career.
In 2003, Joe Burrow's family moved to North Dakota when his father was hired as the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State University in Fargo. This move marked another step in Burrow's early football journey.
The Indianapolis Colts set the record for the largest comeback in a conference championship game in 2006, a record later tied by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2021 with Joe Burrow.
In 2006, Colt Brennan set the FBS single-season passing touchdown record, which would later be broken by Joe Burrow in 2019.
In 2009, Case Keenum threw for the fourth-most passing yards in an FBS season, a record later tied by Joe Burrow in 2019.
From 2011 to 2014, Joe Burrow attended Athens High School in The Plains, Ohio, leading the school to three straight playoff appearances and achieving significant individual success, including passing for 11,416 yards and 157 touchdowns.
In 2012, LSU and Alabama faced off in the BCS National Championship Game. This historical context was used to highlight the significance of the 2019 game between the two teams, where Joe Burrow led LSU to a victory.
On May 27, 2014, Joe Burrow committed to Ohio State to play football, marking a significant step in his athletic career.
In 2015, Joe Burrow redshirted his freshman year at Ohio State and spent the next two years as a backup, playing in 10 games and completing 29 of 39 passes for 287 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2015, Joe Burrow was rated as a four-star football recruit and the eighth-highest ranked dual-threat quarterback in his class, reflecting his promising potential in football.
In 2015, the Cincinnati Bengals had their last winning season before 2020, when Joe Burrow led the team to nine wins.
The Cincinnati Bengals had their best season since 2015 in 2022, finishing with a 12-4 record.
The Cincinnati Bengals reached the playoffs in 2021 for the first time since 2015, breaking a long playoff drought.
On May 18, 2018, Joe Burrow transferred to Louisiana State University (LSU) after realizing he would not be Ohio State's starting quarterback. He graduated from Ohio State in three years with a degree in consumer and family financial services.
In 2018, Joe Burrow was named LSU's starting quarterback as a redshirt junior. He led the Tigers to a 10-3 record, including a win over UCF in the Fiesta Bowl, and finished the season with 2,894 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and five interceptions.
In 2018, Joe Burrow faced significant criticism from scouts who viewed him as a potential late-round NFL draft pick with limited physical traits and average production. SEC analyst Jordan Rodgers noted Burrow's inconsistency and poor performance against good competition during this time.
The Ringer published a profile of Joe Burrow in November 2019.
On December 14, 2019, Joe Burrow won the Heisman Trophy by a record margin. He also received the SEC Offensive Player of the Year, AP Player of the Year, Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Lombardi Award, and Manning Award, and was named as a Consensus All-American.
In December 2019, the Athens City School District school board unanimously approved a measure to rename the school's football stadium in honor of Joe Burrow.
During the 2019 season, Joe Burrow broke the FBS single-season record for passing touchdowns with 60.
In 2019, Joe Burrow had a record-setting performance in the Peach Bowl, throwing for seven touchdowns in the first half and eight total touchdowns in LSU's victory.
In 2019, Joe Burrow led LSU to significant victories, including a win over Georgia Southern and a high-scoring game against Texas. He set multiple records and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week multiple times.
In 2019, it was highlighted that Joe Burrow's family has a rich athletic history, including his grandmother setting a Mississippi state high school record in basketball and his father, Jim Burrow, having a 40-year career as a football player and coach.
Joe Burrow's 2019 season at LSU was pivotal, drawing more attention from scouts who began to reconsider their evaluations. His football IQ, accuracy, pocket mobility, and playmaking abilities were highlighted as strengths, leading to his increased draft prospects.
On July 31, 2020, Joe Burrow was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL draft and signed his rookie contract.
In 2020, Joe Burrow's impressive 2019 season led to him being selected as a top pick in the NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, marking a significant milestone in his football career.
In 2020, Joe Burrow was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals as the first overall pick in the NFL draft after winning the Heisman Trophy and leading LSU to the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.
In 2020, Joe Burrow led LSU to a victory in the National Championship Game, throwing for 463 yards and six total touchdowns.
During the 2021 Divisional Round game against Tennessee, Joe Burrow demonstrated his advanced football IQ by successfully calling his own plays. His ability to process defenses quickly and pitch game plan ideas with LSU coaches had already set him apart.
In 2021, Bailey Zappe tied the FBS single-season total touchdowns record set by Joe Burrow in 2019.
In 2021, Sports Illustrated writer Mike Santagata commented on Joe Burrow's physique, describing him as "bigger than he looks."
In February 2022, Joe Burrow appeared on stage with Kid Cudi during a Super Bowl afterparty. Later that year, Cudi honored Burrow by naming a bonus track after him on his Entergalactic album.
In June 2022, following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Joe Burrow voiced his support for abortion rights on Instagram. Additionally, after the Uvalde elementary school shooting, he expressed his support for stricter gun control reforms during a press conference.
In the 2022-2023 NFL playoffs, the Cincinnati Bengals, led by Joe Burrow, reached the AFC Championship game for the second consecutive year.
Joe Burrow was ranked 21st in the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022, as voted by his peers.
In January 2023, Joe Burrow, along with a coalition of athletes including Blake Griffin and Kevin Gausman, purchased a 104-acre farm in north Iowa with plans to diversify their agricultural investments.
On September 7, 2023, Joe Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals, making him the highest-paid player in NFL history with an annual salary of $55 million.
In a 2023 interview, Joe Burrow revealed his affinity for the Super Smash Bros. video game series, particularly enjoying playing as Ness from Earthbound during flights to road games with his teammates.