A Portrait of Joe Burrow and the Man Who ‘Protects Him’

Photographer Jeffery A. Salter talks about his session photographing the star QB’s SI cover.

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Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

 The lights are bright at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, casting a yellow beam that reflects off the orange-and-black tiger-striped helmets donned by Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow and center Ted Karras. But the two players are alone in wearing their black, orange and white uniforms, for this is not the usual NFL game, practice or training camp. The field is empty aside from photographer Jeffery A. Salter, his two assistants and enough photography equipment to transform the empty stadium into a backdrop that mimics an action-filled field.

Karras is a 29-year-old center who came to Cincinnati this past spring after winning two Super Bowl titles with the Patriots. He should be a part of the Bengals’ starting lineup this season, likely taking his place along the interior of the offensive line. He arrives before Burrow, and Salter immediately starts making conversation with him, joking around to try to make sure the lineman is comfortable—something Salter does with all of his subjects, whether he’s photographing women in Uganda, celebrities in Miami or star athletes such as Serena Williams or Aaron Judge.

“The portrait is a very intimate shoot. … I have to draw something out of a subject. And it doesn’t require me talking about game stats or anything like that,” Salter says. “I just kind of try keeping it light so just so they can forget that they’re actually at a photo shoot.”

In this case, conversation led Salter and Karras (who stands at 6’4” and 310 lbs.) to a “muscle-off,” a casual competition that included the two posing for a picture together to show off.

Courtesy of Jeffery A. Salter

And when Burrow arrived not long afterward, the banter continued as Salter messed around about how many push-ups he could do (the 25-year-old quarterback is on the smaller side, weighing some 80 pounds less than Karras despite being the same height). Though Salter admits he couldn’t tease Burrow too much—the guy’s hair is perfect, Salter says. “I don’t know what gel he has, but it makes his hair perfect.”

Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

But eventually the helmet had to go on so Salter could get some action (or rather, “implied action,” he says). The photographer himself had already taken a video running out of the end zone—because how many people can pick up a football and run around an NFL stadium?—before it was Burrow’s turn to perform for the camera. Having been lucky enough to have a tall assistant that day, Salter had already tested the lighting to be sure he was ready for when Burrow arrived, and the work really began.

Courtesy Jeffery A. Salter

Burrow and Karras posed in uniform (some with their helmets, some without) for the majority of the photos since they were environmental portraits, Salter says. Whether it’s Karras bending down to snap the ball or Burrow slinging his arm back to mimic his passing motion, this kind of setup allows Salter to capture the anticipation of action-packed game play while simultaneously presenting an in-depth image of the subject.

Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

“In a way it’s kind of surreal. … You want to create this connection with the person looking at the [cover]. You need to have that sense of drama, when you can bring something out of a person’s eyes. And you know, game action, you can’t always do that. Game action is about capturing the physicality in the moment, which is a different kind of beauty to capture on film,” Salter says.

Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

Salter’s favorite photo that came from the session was a moment when both Burrow and Karras had seemingly forgotten they were posing for photos. They sat facing each other, criss-cross applesauce under the lighting equipment, with their helmets off in front of them and their hands in their lap.

Jeffery A. Salter/Sports Illustrated

“That’s [Burrow’s] center, you know, that’s the guy who makes it happen and protects him,” Salter says. “It was just a nice moment of two guys just kicking it and talking to each other.”

You can read Conor Orr’s cover story on Burrow here.

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