Joe Burrow and Cincinnati Bengals on brink of pulling off fairytale Super Bowl win in Hollywood
RISING STAR Joe Burrow is on the brink of pulling off an underdog story worthy of a Hollywood movie script.
Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals face the Los Angeles Rams having been 100-1 for Super Bowl glory at the start of the season.
The 25-year-old has his sights set on taking down Rams and Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke in his own back yard with the eyes of the world watching.
Cincinnati won just six games in the last two seasons combined and were without a single playoff victory since 1990 before this year.
But a remarkable turnaround and fairy-tale post-season run has Burrow on the brink of delivering a first ever Super Bowl championship for his hometown.
Burrow said: “Being from Ohio and being quarterback of the Bengals is something I’m really proud of.
“Nobody really talked about the Bengals much when I was young. Growing up, there really weren’t a lot of Bengals fans – it was all Steelers and Browns.
“There were a few Bengals fans here and there that got made fun of.
“As a team we’re excited to put a product on the field that the fans are proud of and give them bragging rights because they haven’t had that in a while.”
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Burrow played high school and college football in his home state but was brutally benched by Ohio State and had to up sticks and find another place to play.
He moved to Louisiana State in 2018 and led the Tigers to a National Championship on his way to winning the Heisman Trophy – college football’s equivalent of the MVP.
Burrow landed his dream gig in spring 2020 when the Bengals drafted him No 1 overall, but his rookie season lasted just 10 games before he tore his knee ligaments.
The 25-year-old credits an opponent tonight almost double his age for mentoring him through his injury hell.
Burrow said: “When I got hurt, I lived about 40 minutes from where Andrew Whitworth was living.
"We were both hurt at the same time, so I would go over to his house and watch the games on Sunday.
“I think I spent my birthday at his house and I also spent his birthday at his house.
“So that was kind of a cool thing that he did for me, reaching out to me and making the rehab process a little easier — being in California, away from a lot of people who were close to me.
"He kind of took me in and we had some good times hanging out. He’s become a good friend."
Burrow added: “I saw Nick (Cosgray, Bengals director of rehab) two or three hours a day for eight months.
“It was a long and gruelling process. Nick really helped me get back to the player that I was before.
“I wouldn't be having the season I would be without him. He put vacations on hold to help bring me back to the player I was pre-injury.
“I owe a lot to him for the off-season.”
And Burrow bounced back in style this season to guide Cincinnati to the AFC North title and then heart-stopping playoff wins over Las Vegas, Tennessee and Kansas City.
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He said: “It feels great to be in this position because we’ve worked very hard.
“You appreciate a lot of the things that you don’t appreciate when you’re not injured, like putting on your own pants.”
Real deal
Sky Sports NFL expert Shaun Gayle:
"The level of athletes that are coming through in the NFL these past few years, nothing surprises me any more. Everyone talked about Joe Burrow when he came out of college and what he showed through his injury last year.
"It's one thing for athletes to perform during the course of a game and a season but the real challenges come when you have to rehab.
"When you've been injured, you have to come back to the same level or better. The fans don't see what the players have to commit to to get through. Individuals you see do special things on the field have a direct tie to how they handle themselves off the field.
"As a quarterback, if you're talented, you have the patience and arm strength and all the other things you need to be special - he has them all."