Joe Burrow’s Leadership Started With Bengals Team Meeting On Racial Injustice

Joe Burrow arrived on the scene in Cincinnati during a turbulent time in the NFL and society in general. The Bengals selected Joe with the #1 overall pick in the 2020 draft out of LSU. It didn’t take long for his leadership skills to reflect in the locker room.

Burrow was coming off a national championship season where he also won the Heisman Trophy as college football’s best player. Usually, rookies take some time to get their feet wet and adjust to the league. Joe Burrow immediately stepped up to take an important role for the Bengals.

It wasn’t even related to football. In 2020, a worldwide pandemic disrupted life around the world. Protests against police violence and racial injustice swept cities across the United States. Joe Burrow stepped up in a team meeting where he won the team over with his maturity and leadership, according to ESPN. A former Bengals staffer recalled Burrow’s speech, where he told the story of a teammate who faced racism head-0n.

“He won the team over real quick — every leader has that moment.”

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Just two years later, Joe Burrow has the Cincinnati Bengals on the cusp of a Super Bowl championship. The Bengals take on the Los Angeles Rams on their home field today. Cincinnati is a big underdog going into the game.

Joe Burrow took a two-win team and led them to Super Bowl LVI in just two years. The maturity and leadership he showed were not lost on his teammates. It will be on display at SoFi Stadium for the world to see when the Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 PM on NBC.

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