At an LSU Coaches Caravan stop in June, new passing game coordinator Joe Brady said that he would run through a brick wall for senior quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow’s teammates would have no problem running through a wall for him either.
That wasn’t always the case, however.
This time a year ago, Burrow had just won a four-man quarterback battle that ended in two transfers and fractured locker room days before the season started. Junior quarterback Justin McMillan was atop the depth chart heading into the fall and had the players’ support as well until Burrow was named the starter. The fallout from the decision resulted in McMillan and freshman quarterback Lowell Narcisse leaving the program and a players-only meeting.
Burrow won the job, but he hadn’t yet won the team — that would come in week three against Auburn, Burrow thinks. But a year later, the Ohio native is the undisputed leader of a LSU team with higher expectations that Baton Rouge has seen in recent years.
“Joe has been stellar since he got here,” said LSU coach Ed Orgeron. “He’s quiet, unassuming. I know sometimes in his interviews he’s not, but he is very professional when he comes to work. He’s into it, wants to win and wants to get better every day.”
Junior center Lloyd Cushenberry III agrees with Burrow’s assertion that he won over the team during the Auburn game, but he always knew Burrow was “the guy.” However, the final few drives of that game were a turning point for the whole team.
Cushenberry references a story he told about Burrow at SEC Media Days. During the game-winning drive against Auburn last season, Burrow walked into a nervous huddle and says, “what’s up guys?” before going on to facilitate the drive that ended in a game-winning field goal. Cushenberry said he exudes that type of composure every day.
“He’s a confident, poised guy,” Cushenberry said. “He’s more vocal now, knowing that it’s his team for sure now, but he’s not much different in how he approaches everything. It’s his team for sure now and we know what he can do and we’re ready to see it happen.”
But even though Burrow entered fall camp this season in a different position, as the definite leader of this team, nothing changed about his demeanor in camp.
Burrow’s confidence and calmness make him such an important part of this team both on and off the field, but it’s his toughness on the field that makes Burrow different.
“I love his moxy,” Brady said. “I think he makes everybody on that football team better. Joe Burrow is exactly what you’re looking for in a quarterback, he has that makeup. As a coach, you’re fired up knowing that Joe is your quarterback. I know every single time we step onto the field this fall, we have the opportunity to win with Joe Burrow.”
That hasn’t stopped Burrow from taking a number of hits though. In LSU’s Fiesta Bowl victory over the University of Central Florida, Burrow threw an interception early in the game and was laid out by a UCF defensive lineman as he attempted to make a tackle.
Even then, Burrow refused to come out of the game. That’s just one of the many things that his teammates love about him.
“My favorite thing about Joe is his toughness,” said junior tight end Thaddeus Moss. “He’ll get lit up, he’ll get hit, but he’ll get up with a smile on his face, say a little something and go on with this next play.
“Being on the sideline, I didn’t appreciate it [Burrow getting hit at the Fiesta Bowl] at all. I was ready to run on the field for him. That’s how I feel about Joe. Whenever somebody gets close to him, whenever somebody hits him, I’m ready to go to war with him.”
Even with his team behind him, Burrow has recently come to realize the enormity of being the starting quarterback at LSU beyond the people inside the program. So much that he was aware of the anxiety around the city of Baton Rouge and LSU fans when he missed the first scrimmage of fall camp with a “minor camp injury.”
“I’ve become more aware of it,” Burrow said. “It definitely hit me when we had all the boosters here at the opening of [the renovated LSU Football Operations Building]. I kind of took a step back and realized that I’m in a really special place. It really hit me that we have so much support behind us. Our coaching staff is great and I’m with great guys on the team.”
Orgeron said Burrow can have an even better season in 2019 with the new offensive scheme implemented by Brady.
Burrow’s chemistry with receivers is going to be a huge factor in the offense’s success this season. Burrow and junior receiver Justin Jefferson connected 54 times last season, but the Tigers are also returning sophomores Ja’Marr Chase and Terrace
Marshall Jr., who are set to be heavy contributors in the new offense.
Burrow said the improved chemistry with his wide receiver trio started way back in January after the bowl game when they began throwing together and working on polishing routes and coverage reads.
“The offense [last season] was really tailored around getting [Jefferson] the ball,” Burrow said. “He was our best receiver last year quite honestly. This year, we’re going to be spreading the ball out a little more, as far as concepts we have.
“As good as Terrace and Ja’Marr were last year, they were still freshmen. They took a while to grow. You could see it at the end of the year as they emerged as guys that could be the No. 1 guy.”
Burrow knows what it’s like to grow into the No. 1 guy. He’s done it.
Now, with his teammates beside him, he is more than ready to run through whatever walls face him in Tiger Stadium on Saturday nights this fall.
“The book has yet to be written,” Burrow said. “This is just chapter one and we’re looking to get off to a good start.”