Day ‘n’ Nite, Joe Burrow listens to Cleveland native Kid Cudi before taking the field. You can tell a lot about a young man in how he reacts and answers specific questions. With Burrow, it’s clear that he’s proud of the small-town upbringing in Ohio that’s bringing him so much support from the area. But the confidence he possesses within himself and what rubs off onto the team is a big reason why the Cincinnati Bengals are in this position.
Joe Burrow’s laser focus
You could see it in his eyes from the start of the Zoom interview. His eyes pierced through the camera as he was about to be barraged with questions for the better part of 40 minutes.
It’s that laser focus that molded him into the player he is today. Burrow is 25 now, but he acknowledged that as a freshman at Ohio State, he understood he’d have to be much better if he wanted to play.
Having that type of mentality would be shocking to see from most young men, but Burrow understood his flaws. He left for LSU and went from a borderline draftable quarterback to the top overall pick in one season. He went as far as to say, “LSU gave me everything.”
Leaning on the border of confident and arrogant
It’s an incredibly fine line. The second-year player has a big personality, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind. But recently, it’s been his choice of attire and his embrace of multiple endearing nicknames that intrigues me most.
Burrow understands that quarterback play drives the league. He understands the responsibility he has to be a leader of men. Even if deep down he’s lost confidence in the right side of his offensive line, the tone in his support for them has endured. Whether he’s getting hit only 4 times total against Kansas City or sacked 9 times against Tennessee, his demeanor towards his teammates never cracks.
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Burrow consistently hammered home the importance of locker room culture. His confidence and ability to lead men sets the tone for the rest of the roster.
However, Burrow was quick to acknowledge the importance of the free agents they signed this offseason. The young man knows this is his team, but he quickly offers praise and understands he’s not in this battle alone.
Burrow embraces the pressure
Only one question raised the pitch in Burrow’s voice. One question got him away from the stoicism that had to do with the moment. It was easy to see Burrow lives for the moment. He discussed playing in the state championship during high school. He brought up playing in the SEC and the national championship in college.
The Bengals’ quarterback says that those experiences have helped sharpen his iron as he heads into the big game. Burrow says it all feels relatively similar, no matter where it’s been. There is a reason he’s earned so many affectionate nicknames. He’ll get to prove just how cool he is in Super Bowl LVI, but he says we can all just call him “Joe.”
