Joe Burrow‘s run to the Heisman Trophy was truly one for the ages. As you well know, it’s the tale of an overlooked kid who started with just a “pity” offer from the hometown team, overlooked by his favorite team, who waited his turn at Ohio State, then bet on himself by transferring to LSU. After a good-not-great junior season, Burrow exploded in 2019, setting a single-season SEC passing record, firing 48 touchdowns against just six interceptions, leading the Tigers to a 13-0 regular season, an SEC championship and a No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff, with a shot to win a national title inside their home-away-from-home at the Superdome.
Truly, it’s the stuff of legends, especially if Burrow and LSU close the deal next month.
But what has the potential to take it over the top is this developing story.
Burrow’s season has been great for him, his family, for coaches Ed Orgeron and Joe Brady, and for the people of Louisiana. But over the course of his exceptional speech on Saturday night, Burrow put the spotlight on people who truly need it.
“Coming from southeast Ohio it’s a very impoverished area and the poverty rate is almost two times the national average,” Burrow said Saturday night. “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.”
Those lines above inspired three different fundraisers for the Athens County Food Pantry, which at this time has raised $467,093 of a desired $500,000.
Will Drabold wrote on the “Fundraiser for Athens County Food Pantry” page:Incredible update from my wife, who is a special education teacher at The Plains Elementary where Joey Burrow went to school:
The students at The Plains watched Joey’s Heisman speech today at school. This fundraiser was also announced to the kids.
One of my wife’s 3rd graders came up to my wife and said, “I go to the food bank,” with her eyes beaming. She was proud to say that she did. She was proud!
This is the whole point. This is why I felt motivated to start this after watching Joey’s speech. Joey inspired a generation of children who come from nothing in Appalachian Ohio. Some of these kids don’t get toys for Christmas. They get all their food from food stamps and the food pantry. You cannot beat the power of role models and inspiration in their lives. None of these kids, who are in the same classrooms Joey was, will ever forget this.
I’m crying again just writing this.
Burrow’s season has proven that the uniting power of sports isn’t just a cliche people say to make ourselves feel better, it’s true. And here’s hoping it continues.