Joe Burrow Reflects on ‘Difficult Times’ at Ohio State

Burrow redshirted at Ohio State and was a backup for two years before he transferred to LSU.

As his team prepares for the AFC championship on Sunday, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow reflected on a time in his life that he said defined him. Before he was a Heisman-winning quarterback at LSU and starring for the Cincinnati Bengals, he was a backup at Ohio State. 

“Yeah, I wouldn't be the same player that I am today without those trials and tribulations that I went through there,” Burrow said, per 247Sports. "I loved my time there, I stay in contact with a lot of people from Ohio State and, like I said, I wouldn't be the same player. I think I am who I am because of the difficult times that I went through in my career.”

Burrow, an Ohio native, redshirted for the Buckeyes in 2015 and spent the next two seasons as a backup for J.T. Barrett. He transferred to LSU in 2018 and went on to have one of the best seasons in college football history. He threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns and won both the Heisman and the national title—becoming one of just eight quarterbacks to do so in the same season—before getting selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL draft by the Bengals. 

Now, the second-year signal-caller is just one win away from a Super Bowl appearance—something Cincinnati hasn't accomplished since 1989. Kick-off against the Chiefs is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. 

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