Thank You, Joe Burrow

Our team at The Daily Coach send our sincere congratulations to Joe Burrow for his gratitude and stellar achievements on and off the field of play.

December 19, 2019

“Many people have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.”

— Helen Keller

When LSU’s quarterback Joe Burrow approached the podium to accept the 2019 Heisman Trophy he earned for his play on the field this past season, he was not thinking of himself. He was thinking of ways to help others. Burrow went to high school in The Plains, Ohio, within Athens County. A small town in southeast Ohio that borders West Virginia―and a region of the United States that legendary historian David McCullough wrote about in his book titled The Pioneers. During Joe Burrow’s acceptance speech of this prestigious honor, he said:

“Coming from southeast Ohio, it’s a very impoverished area, and the poverty rate is almost two times the national average. There’s so many people there that don’t have a lot. And I’m up here for all those kids in Athens and Athens County that go home to not a lot of food on the table, hungry after school. You guys can be up here, too.”

Burrow used his fame and platform to help others. He displayed his gratitude by thinking of someone other than himself. That’s powerful for anyone, especially someone so young and due to make millions in the coming months. It even impressed his former coach Ryan Day from Ohio State University. Coach Day expressed, “That was as cool a night and moment as I’ve ever been around. Joe, although he thought that out, that was just him being himself. Talk about class. There’s not a classier guy out there. I was humbled to be in the room and just be a part of the journey.”

That journey for Burrow was not an easy one. Initially, he enrolled at Ohio State University but was never allowed to compete against the other top quarterbacks on campus. Burrow was solely a scout team quarterback who often was allowed to get hit by the first-team defense. One time during a spring game, Burrow took a beating. He never complained to his coaches. He never put on the “why me, poor me hat.” Burrow kept his head down, worked hard, and graduated in three years from Ohio State University. He then decided to transfer for a chance to compete—with no expectations from his new school. Joe Burrow is the type of player we all want to coach—talented, hard-working, humble, caring, a leader, and, most of all, willing to place the team first. 

 Joe Burrow is a lesson for all of us to give back, be humble, and focus on how we can improve, not on how someone might be affecting our career plans. In the coming months, we all may experience setbacks and obstacles. We might get hit as hard as Burrow did in that spring game, and we all need to follow his lead. Get back up, focus on what we can control, and worry more about what we can give then what we can receive. 

Our team at The Daily Coach send our sincere congratulations to Joe Burrow for his gratitude and stellar achievements on and off the field of play. We also thank him for his valuable and timeless life reminders. 

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