Here in Athens, there is a collective love and appreciation for Joe Burrow, and as a result, the Cincinnati Bengals.
The outward show of love and support for everyone’s favorite Bulldog has spread from the heart of Athens to other corners of Ohio, where people were hoping to see a football team from their state come home with the highest esteemed trophy in the NFL.
Unfortunately, the Lombardi Trophy stayed in Los Angeles with the Rams, but there is still a lot to be celebrated.
At this point, it is well known that the Athens Food Pantry received an overwhelming amount of donations following Burrow’s 2019 Heisman acceptance speech. He talked about his experience growing up in Southeast Ohio and the intense poverty rate in the area, saying he was there for everyone from his home region who experienced food insecurity.
A fundraiser for the Athens County Food Pantry was started by Athens High School alum Will Drabold with a goal of $500,000. Thus, the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund was born and approximately $650,000 was raised for the Athens County Food Pantry.
In addition to the initial fundraiser, Burrow auctioned off a pair of cleats that featured a design created by an Athens High School student in a contest held for the Athens City School District. The final bid was $2,500 and the money went towards the Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund. There is no doubt regarding the impact of Burrow’s charitable efforts.
Additionally, in the two seasons since Burrow was drafted, the Bengals went from having the worst record in the 2019 NFL season to playing in the Super Bowl. To do that takes a team effort, but I think it’s fair to say that Burrow has had a large part in making that happen with the way he has consistently led his teams to outstanding victories. All of a sudden, people’s eyes were directed towards an NFL team being led by “just a kid from Athens.”
It is unquestioned that sports bring people together, but this past NFL season was different as people who had not previously cared too much about football began to understand the appeal. Sometimes it just takes a really good team to draw in new fans and that’s what the Bengals did.
I’m not from Athens, but to be quite honest, Athens is why I am here. My parents met here while they were attending Ohio University, and now I am here carrying on the title of Bobcat. Having a connection to the place where an already legendary quarterback grew up is really cool and there’s no reason to deny it.
As the coolness factor of that connection began to solidify in my mind, I found myself actually wanting to sit down and watch the Bengals. Did I watch every game? No, but I think I watched more games this past season than I ever have and I plan on continuing that streak next season.
There are all sorts of reasons why people are fans of specific famous athletes, but I think humanity is a strong factor. Without all Burrow has done for Southeast Ohio and Athens, I think the community still would have been excited for him throughout his football career. However, it is because he started giving back to it before he touched an NFL jersey that makes it that much more special to have someone in the spotlight who has this community’s back.
Burrow and everyone else who has spent quality time in Athens knows how special this corner of Ohio is and I think the world is finally starting to see that, too.
Tate Raub is a sophomore studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Tate know by tweeting her @tatertot1310.
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