Joe Burrow and his old high school football stomping grounds have officially become synonymous.
Coming off one of the greatest statistical seasons in college football history, Burrow went down in LSU lore as he was named winner of the 2019 Heisman Trophy in a landslide. In an emotional acceptance speech, the quarterback made headlines across the country with the mention of the plight facing his hometown.
“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.”
In the days since that speech, nearly a half-million dollars has been donated to the Athens County Food Pantry. Thursday night, the Athens City School Board of Education unanimously took the first steps in recognizing Burrow’s accomplishments both on and off the field by directing “the Superintendent and the Athens High School Administration to take such actions as are necessary to name the Athens High School Football Stadium the Joe Burrow Stadium.”
One board official told a Columbus television station that “a final name has not been agreed on yet for the stadium and this is only the beginning of the process.” Once LSU’s football season is complete, there will be a ceremony to commemorate whichever name they decide.
Top-ranked LSU will face No. 4 Oklahoma in one of the College Football Playoff semifinals. The winner of that game will face the winner of the No. 3 Clemson-No. 2 Ohio State semifinal.