Joe Burrow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Joe Burrow

Burrow with the Bengals in 2021
No. 9 – Cincinnati Bengals
Position:	Quarterback
Personal information
Born:	(1996-12-10) December 10, 1996 (age 27) Ames, Iowa, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school:	Athens (The Plains, Ohio)
College:	Ohio State (2015–2017) LSU (2018–2019)
NFL Draft:	2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1
Career history
Cincinnati Bengals (2020–present)
Roster status:	Injured reserve
Career highlights and awards
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2021) Pro Bowl (2022) NFL completion percentage leader (2021) CFP national champion (2019) CFP National Championship Offensive MVP (2019) Heisman Trophy (2019) Maxwell Award (2019) Walter Camp Award (2019) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2019) Davey O'Brien Award (2019) Manning Award (2019) Lombardi Award (2019) AP College Football Player of the Year (2019) Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (2019) Unanimous All-American (2019) SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2019) First-team All-SEC (2019) NFL records Career completion percentage: 68.0% Most completions in a game by a rookie: 37 (tied)
Career NFL statistics as of 2023
Passing attempts: 1,895 Passing completions: 1,288 Completion percentage: 68.0% TD–INT: 97–37 Passing yards: 14,083 Passer rating: 98.6 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Joseph Lee Burrow (born December 10, 1996) is an American football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League (NFL). Following a stint at Ohio State, Burrow played college football at LSU, winning the Heisman Trophy and the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship as a senior. He was selected by the Bengals first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

After an injury-shortened rookie season, Burrow rebounded in his second year by leading the Bengals to their first playoff win since 1990, ending the longest active drought in the four major North American sports, and an appearance in Super Bowl LVI. In his three seasons as the Bengals' quarterback, Burrow has led the team to five postseason wins, the same amount won in franchise history prior to drafting him. Burrow has been nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "Joe Brrr" by sportswriters and other players for his calmness under pressure.

Early years

Burrow was born in Ames, Iowa, on December 10, 1996, the son of Robin and Jim Burrow. Jim is a former football player and coach whose career lasted over 40 years. Burrow was born in Ames when his father was on the coaching staff at Iowa State University. According to a 2019 Sports Illustrated story, "The Burrow athletic lineage dates back nearly a century." In the 1940s, his paternal grandmother set a Mississippi state high school record with an 82-point game in basketball. His paternal grandfather played basketball at Mississippi State; his uncle, John Burrow, played football at Ole Miss (the University of Mississippi); and two older brothers also played football at Nebraska.

He attended the 2002 Rose Bowl at age five, because his father was an assistant coach for the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. Not long after, he began playing in youth football leagues. Unlike his father, uncle, and brothers, who all played on defense, Burrow started out as a quarterback, because his first youth team had no one else who could play the position. The Burrow family moved to North Dakota in 2003 when his father was hired as the defensive coordinator at North Dakota State University in Fargo. One day, while Jim was visiting his office, future Central Michigan head coach Dan Enos commented that the seven-year-old Joe had a future in football. The Burrows spent two years in Fargo before Jim accepted the defensive coordinator position at Ohio University in Athens.

Burrow attended Athens High School (2011–14) in The Plains, Ohio, leading the school to three straight playoff appearances and the school's first seven playoff victories in school history. During his career, he passed for 11,416 yards with 157 passing touchdowns and rushed for 2,067 yards with 27 rushing touchdowns. He was awarded the state's Mr. Football Award and Gatorade Player of the Year award as a senior in 2014. He and his Bulldog teammates went 14–1 that season. He was also a standout basketball player, and was named first-team all-state at point guard his senior year. Burrow was rated as a four-star football recruit, and was the eighth-highest ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class of 2015, according to the 247Sports Composite. He committed to Ohio State to play football on May 27, 2014.

In December 2019, the Athens City School District school board unanimously approved a measure to rename the school's football stadium in honor of Burrow.

College career

Ohio State (2015–2017)

Joe Burrow played college football at Ohio State University for the Buckeyes. He was a redshirt freshman in 2015, meaning he did not play his first year of college. He was then a backup to J. T. Barrett for the next two years. During that time, he played in 10 games, completing 29-of-39 pass attempts for 287 yards and two touchdowns. Dwayne Haskins was then named the starting quarterback for the Buckeyes. Because of this, Burrow decided to transfer to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play for the Tigers. Burrow graduated from Ohio State in three years with a degree in consumer and family financial services, and would be immediately eligible as a graduate transfer.

LSU (2018–2019)

Joe Burrow playing for LSU in 2018

In his first year as a Tiger, in 2018, Burrow was named the starter as a redshirt junior. He earned 2 SEC Player of the Week honors during the season. The Tigers finished the season with a 10–3 record. Burrow has 2,894 passing yards and 16 passing touchdowns to 5 interceptions. While rushing the football, Burrow had 399 yards and 7 touchdowns.

The following season, Burrow had what many sportswriters and football experts described as the best season by a college quarterback. In a blowout win against Texas A&M, Burrow set the single-season Southeastern Conference (SEC) record in passing yards and tied the single-season record for passing touchdowns. The following week, Burrow led the Tigers to a 37–10 win in the SEC Championship Game against the Georgia Bulldogs, securing the Tigers' place in the College Football Playoff. He was named the game's Most Valuable Player (MVP) and during the win, Burrow set the single-season SEC record for passing touchdowns. Later, on December 14, 2019, Burrow was awarded the 2019 Heisman Trophy, winning the award by a record-margin of votes.

In the playoff semifinal game at the 2019 Peach Bowl, Burrow led the Tigers to a 63–28 win over the fourth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners. In the win, Burrow completed 29-of-39 pass attempts for 493 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns, to go along with five rushes for 22 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. Burrow's eight total touchdowns were an FBS bowl game record and SEC single game record, and were recorded in just over one half of play before Burrow was rested. Analysts have called Burrow's performance one of the greatest in college football history.

Burrow in 2019

In the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship Game against Clemson, Burrow threw for 463 yards and five passing touchdowns. Burrow also ran for a touchdown in the game and was named the game's offensive MVP, as he led LSU to a 42–25 victory. With the win, LSU finished with an undefeated 15–0 season.

He finished his 2019 season with 60 passing touchdowns, which set the single-season NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record. Burrow's record has since been passed by Bailey Zappe of Western Kentucky, who threw for 62 touchdowns in 2021. Burrow also set a new FBS single-season record in combined passing and rushing touchdowns, with 65. Zappe tied this record in 2021. Burrow also finished the year with 5,671 passing yards, which is tied for fourth all-time in an FBS season. His passer rating of 202 for the season was also a record until it was surpassed by Mac Jones in 2020.

Statistics

Professional career

Burrow in a game against the Washington Football Team, November 2020

Burrow being carted off following a season-ending knee injury during his 2020 rookie season

2020

Burrow was one of 58 players invited to the 2020 NFL Draft, where he was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals. He was the third-consecutive Heisman-winning quarterback to be selected first overall, following Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray. Burrow signed his four-year rookie contract, worth $36.1 million, on July 31, 2020.

Prior to the season, Burrow was considered the favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

Burrow was the only rookie quarterback from his draft class to start on opening week. In his debut, Burrow threw for 193 passing yards and an interception, while adding 46 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in a 16–13 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers. During the next game against the Cleveland Browns, Burrow threw his first career passing touchdown, a 23-yard pass to tight end C. J. Uzomah. Although the Bengals lost the game, 35–30, he attempted 61 passes, completing 37 of them for 316 yards and three touchdowns, which broke the NFL record for most completions by a rookie quarterback in a single game. Two weeks later, Burrow earned his first career win by defeating the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 300 or more yards in three straight games.

In a Week 7 game against the Browns, Burrow had 406 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, and one interception in a 37–34 loss. He became the first rookie in NFL history with at least 400 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in a single game, and had completed more passes (221) than any other player in NFL history during their first eight games. In the second half of a Week 11 game against the Washington Football Team, Burrow was hit low while throwing a pass and subsequently tore his ACL and MCL in his left knee, among other damage to his PCL and meniscus. He was later placed on injured reserve, ending his rookie season. Undergoing knee surgery in December, Burrow continued to review game film despite being out for the season.

2021

Burrow playing at M&T Bank Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens in 2021

On September 6, the Bengals confirmed Burrow had completed his rehab and would start Week 1. Burrow returned from his injury and helped lead the Bengals to a 2–1 start. In Week 4, Burrow completed 25 of 32 passes for 348 yards and two touchdowns in a 24–21 win over the Jaguars, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16, Burrow completed 37 of 46 passes, threw for a career-high 525 yards, while also throwing four touchdowns without an interception, for a career-high 143.2 passer rating in the 41–21 win. Burrow's 525 yards were the fourth most passing yards in a game in NFL history, and broke Boomer Esiason's franchise record for most passing yards in a game as a result. The victory in this game was Cincinnati's ninth of the year, clinching the first winning record for the team since the 2015 season, and put the Bengals in first place of the AFC North. Burrow was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week as a result of his performance.

The next week against the Kansas City Chiefs, Burrow threw for 446 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in the 34–31 win. The win helped the Bengals clinch the AFC North and a playoff berth for the first time since 2015. Burrow finished the season playing in 16 games with 4,611 passing yards and 34 passing touchdowns, both franchise records. He also led the league in completion percentage (70.4%) and yards per pass attempt (8.9), but also led the league in sacks taken. He was named Comeback Player of the Year by the Associated Press and the PFWA.

In his playoff debut, Burrow threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns in the 26–19 win against the Las Vegas Raiders in the Wild Card Round, ending the Bengals' playoff win drought that had been active since the 1990 season. During the Divisional Round against the top-seeded Tennessee Titans, Burrow threw for 348 yards and an interception in the 19–16 win, which was the first time in franchise history the Bengals won a playoff game on the road. The victory occurred despite Burrow being sacked nine times, tying Warren Moon in 1993 for the most times sacked in a playoff game and becoming the most-sacked quarterback to win a playoff game. In the AFC Championship Game against the Chiefs, Burrow threw for 250 yards, two touchdowns, an interception, and helped the Bengals overcome a 21–3 deficit to win 27–24 in overtime. The 18-point comeback was tied with the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 for the largest in a conference championship. With the victory, the Bengals reached Super Bowl LVI, their first appearance since Super Bowl XXIII in 1988. In the Super Bowl, Burrow threw for 263 yards and a touchdown, but was sacked 7 times, ultimately losing to the Los Angeles Rams 23–20. Burrow set a playoff record for most times sacked in a single postseason, being sacked 19 times, surpassing the previous record set by Wade Wilson in 1987, with 14. He was ranked 21st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2022.

2022

In Week 1 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Burrow committed a career-high five turnovers, which included losing a fumble and throwing four interceptions, along with being sacked seven times in the 23–20 overtime loss. In Week 7 against the Atlanta Falcons, Burrow finished the game throwing for 481 yards in the 35–17 win. The game was Burrow's fifth game with over 400 passing yards, setting an NFL record for the most 400-yard games in a player's first three seasons. It was also his second game with over 500 yards of offense and four touchdowns, making him the first player to accomplish this multiple times. Burrow was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week as a result of his performance.

In Week 13, Burrow threw for 286 yards and two touchdowns, along with 46 rushing yards and a touchdown in a 27–24 win over the Chiefs, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week. On December 21, Burrow was selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career. In Week 16, Burrow threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a 22–18 win over the Patriots, earning his third AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the season.

Due to the team's Week 17 game against the Buffalo Bills being declared a no contest, the Bengals were declared AFC North champions ahead of their final week match against Baltimore, marking the first time the franchise won consecutive division titles. He finished the season ranked fifth in the NFL in both completions (414) and passing yards (4,475), while his franchise record 35 touchdown passes ranked in 2nd. Meanwhile, the Bengals finished 12–4 on the season, their best record since 2015.

In the 2022–23 NFL playoffs, Burrow led the Bengals to victories over the Ravens in the Wild Card Round and Bills in the Divisional Round en route to their second consecutive AFC Championship appearance. In a rematch of the previous AFC Championship Game, the Bengals lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Chiefs 23–20.

2023

Ahead of the season, Burrow suffered a right calf strain during training camp. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor initially stated that he would be sidelined for "several weeks", with no clear timeline in place for his return, but later made a bold announcement that he was "better than he's ever looked," implying a more positive than expected recovery. On September 7, 2023, Burrow signed a five-year, $275 million contract extension, surpassing Justin Herbert to become the highest-paid player in NFL history on an annual basis, with an average annual salary of $55 million.

In Week 8, Burrow threw for 283 yards and three touchdowns while completing 87.5% of passes in a 31–17 win over the 49ers, earning AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. During the first half of the game, Burrow reset his career high with 19 consecutive completed passes.

On November 16, Burrow suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist in the first half of the Bengals' Week 11 game against the Ravens. The next day, the Bengals announced that Burrow would miss the remainder of the season. Burrow was placed on the injured reserve on November 25, and would soon thereafter undergo surgery.

NFL career statistics

Regular season

Postseason

Player profile

At the NFL combine, Burrow was measured to be 6 ft 3 in and 221 lbs; his hands were measured to be 9 inches. In 2021, Sports Illustrated writer Mike Santagata wrote that Burrow is "bigger than he looks at about 230 pounds," while also noting his athleticism and strength.

Through his junior year at LSU, Burrow "initial run through the [NFL's] scouting machine resulted in such an underwhelming consensus". Many scouts viewed Burrow as an "NFL draft afterthought", and considered him "a late-round project and potential backup." He was seen as having limited physical traits and average production prior to his senior season. SEC analyst Jordan Rodgers opined that Burrow was "wildly inconsistent, and frankly very poor against good competition" in 2018. Burrow's 2019 season was cited as helping draw more attention to scouts to reconsider their evaluation of him, and his football IQ, accuracy, pocket mobility, and playmaking outside of the pocket have all been cited as strengths of his game. The Bengals caught attention of these traits in 2019, making Burrow a top pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Football IQ

Burrow's football IQ has often been cited by writers, coaches, coordinators, and other players as a critical aspect of Burrow's game. He has been analyzed as being capable of processing opposing defenses quickly. Burrow participated in game plan meetings during his tenure at LSU to discuss the next opponent, where he pitched game plan ideas with LSU passing game coordinator Joe Brady and offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger. The two coaches also trusted Burrow with presnap play calls and Burrow was noted by Sports Illustrated for his tendency to "often change receiver routes based on defensive formations." College GameDay analyst Kirk Herbstreit likened Burrow to a "co-offensive coordinator", stating "That's the NFL model, when you have a quarterback able to invest and communicate at that level. [Burrow] is the cutting edge of that mold. When I watch LSU, it's not just Joe Brady's offense—it's Joe Brady and Joe Burrow's offense." As a Bengal, Burrow was noted to have successfully called his own plays during the 2021 Divisional Round game against Tennessee.

Burrow plays chess in his spare time, as well as during game preparation. He keeps a chessboard in his locker. Prior to Super Bowl LVI, Burrow played ten matches of chess on Chess.com. Bengals cornerback Chidobe Awuzie, who would play chess with Burrow, commented "The fact that he plays chess lets you know that he's able to prioritize certain things and articulate things very fast and have formation recognition."

Accuracy and physical traits

Burrow delivers a throw to Giovani Bernard

Sportswriters have praised Burrow's accuracy, calling his ball placement elite. Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan has stated that Burrow has "an uncanny ability to place the ball accurately on the move anywhere on the field." Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that Burrow possess elite traits in regards to his "combination of picking up the blitz and his accuracy outside the pocket".

Indeed, Burrow's pocket management, particularly his movement and footwork within the pocket to help him avoid sacks, has been noted by sportswriters. The Athletic wrote positively of Burrow's "ability to work a broken pocket," stating that Burrow evades defenders and is able to both find space to deliver a throw or run with the ball himself.

Intangibles

Intangibles such as dedication, work ethic, and leadership also contributed to the Bengals' decision to pick him first overall. Former New England Patriots running back Kevin Faulk compared Burrow to Tom Brady, noting the former's poise and competitiveness. Once in the NFL, Burrow drew further comparisons to Brady from Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

Burrow's leadership has also been noted by teammates and opponents alike; veteran Mike Daniels spoke on Burrow being voted a team captain as a rookie, stating that Burrow earned the respect of his veteran teammates before even playing. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has stated "Not only is he a great football player, I think he's a great leader. He has that special knack where he can lead anybody." Mahomes and Baltimore Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen have also noted Burrow's "swag" or "swagger". Indeed, Burrow has been noted by writers for his "cool" demeanor both on and off the field. ProFootballTalk writer Peter King wrote that "Burrow's steely mentality and his right arm are putting him on the path to greatness. I wouldn't bet against him." Burrow's attitude has been attributed as a factor in his ability to remain calm under pressure in-game, earning him the "Joe Cool" and "Joe Brrr" nicknames.

Records and achievements

• NFL Comeback Player of the Year (2021)
• PFWA Comeback Player of the Year (2021)
• Pro Bowl (2022)
• NFL completion percentage leader (2021)
• FedEx Air Player of the Year (2022)

NFL records

• Highest career completion percentage: 68.0%
• Most completions by a rookie, game: 37 (2020)

Bengals franchise records

• Most passing yards, game: 525
• Most passing yards, season: 4,611 (2021)
• Most passing touchdowns, season: 35 (2022)
• Highest passer rating, season: 108.3 (2021)
• Highest completion percentage, career (min. 500 pass attempts): 68.2%
• Highest passer rating, career (min. 500 pass attempts): 100.4
• Most 400+ yard passing games, career: 5
• Most 300+ yard passing games, season: 6 (2021)

College awards and honors

Joe Burrow in 2018

• CFP national champion (2019)
• CFP National Championship Offensive MVP (2019)
• Heisman Trophy (2019)
• Maxwell Award (2019)
• Walter Camp Award (2019)
• Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (2019)
• Davey O'Brien Award (2019)
• Manning Award (2019)
• Lombardi Award (2019)
• AP College Football Player of the Year (2019)
• Sporting News College Football Player of the Year (2019)
• 2019 Peach Bowl Offensive MVP
• 2019 Fiesta Bowl Offensive MVP
• Unanimous All-American (2019)
• SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2019)
• First-team All-SEC (2019)

Personal life

Burrow during an interview with Lordstown Motors

Burrow spent one summer during college interning at Goldman Sachs. After signing his rookie contract with the Bengals, Burrow stated that he planned to save all of his contract money and instead live through income received from endorsements.

Burrow is a fan of the Super Smash Bros. video game series. In a 2023 interview, Burrow stated that he usually plays Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on flights to road games with his teammates, and that he frequently plays as Ness from Earthbound.

Burrow is an avid fan of Kid Cudi, often listening to his music prior to Bengals games. In February 2022, Burrow appeared on-stage with Cudi during a Super Bowl afterparty. Later in the year, Cudi included a bonus track named after Burrow on his Entergalactic album.

..... Following the Uvalde elementary school shooting, Burrow expressed his support for stricter gun control reforms during a press conference.

In January 2023, Burrow was among a coalition of about a dozen athletes, including Blake Griffin and Kevin Gausman, who purchased a 104-acre north Iowa farm with plans to further acquire a diverse set of agricultural assets.

See also

In Spanish: Joe Burrow para niños