Skip to main content

Joe Burrow put together one of the most incredible college football seasons ever last year for LSU. His success on the field led to him becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft. Burrow’s accuracy and playmaking ability made him the best player in the country, but one trait that shouldn’t be overlooked is his will to win. Burrow wants to win so badly that he actually passed out after a game in 2018. He played the entire game even though his body was actively shutting down near the end. That’s the kind of player the Bengals are getting with Joe Burrow.

LSU and Texas A&M played one of the longest football games ever in 2018

Before Joe Burrow was a household name, he led LSU to a 10-3 record in 2018. His junior season wasn’t nearly as memorable as his senior year, but LSU still played one of the wildest games in college football history.

When you see a 74-72 final score, you would think it was from a college basketball game. You would be incorrect. That was the real final score from the seven-overtime thriller between LSU and Texas A&M in 2018.

Burrow threw 38 times in the game and had 29 rushing attempts. He recorded 370 total yards and six touchdowns in the contest. Burrow left everything he had on the field, but LSU fell in the seventh overtime. It was as brutal a loss as he’ll ever have in his football career.

Burrow was so drained after the game that he passed out

Burrow didn’t just exhaust all of his effort trying to win the seven-overtime game. He also exhausted all the nutrition in his body, so much so that his body just gave out in the locker room. It turns out playing five straight hours of football isn’t so healthy.

Immediately after sitting down for the first time in the locker room, Burrow passed out and fell to the ground. He woke up shortly after with an IV in his arm. Burrow was fed cookies and applesauce while he regained his strength.

Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellinger looked back on the heroic performance last year. He spoke to LSU’s head trainer Jack Marucci about Burrow leaving it all on the field.

“To see somebody put that kind of effort, desire, and passion in a game, it’s probably one of the first times I’ve seen anyone get into that kind of state of fatigue,” Marucci told SI.

Burrow will bring that unrelenting competitiveness to the Bengals

The loss to Texas A&M stuck in Burrow’s head for a year until the two teams met again in 2019. He believed LSU should’ve won the game, so he was out for revenge.

All Burrow did was beat the pulp out of the Aggies, 50-7. He threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns in the contest.

The Bengals aren’t just getting an incredible winner with precision accuracy and impossible escapability. They’re getting a gamer who won’t stop until his body literally quits on him. If Burrow passed out for a regular season college game, imagine what he’ll do when Cincinnati is in the playoff hunt.

Best in NFL
Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.