By Isabel Lima
The number one pick in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe Burrow is headed back to his home state. A native of Athens, Ohio, Burrow attributes his strong work ethic and toughness to growing up in southeast Ohio. During his December 2019 Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, Burrow described both his deep love for his hometown as well as the region’s high poverty rate. As COVID-19 wreaks havoc across the globe, particularly in low-income communities, Burrow is now realizing the power of his influence to drive positive change.
Within weeks of Burrow’s Heisman Trophy speech, the Athens County Food Pantry saw donations surge, totaling more than $510,000 and nearly 14,000 donors. These funds — which could not have come at a more fortuitous time — are now helping feed the area’s growing number of families in need, with the pantry quadrupling its meal distribution from once per week to four times per week.
Despite transferring from Ohio State to LSU in 2018—where he led the Tigers to a National Championship victory this past January—Burrow is revered in Athens and throughout southeast Ohio. As his football career catapults to the next level, Burrow is already looking forward to giving back to all those who helped him get to where he is today.
“It’s the people…They are so loyal and so willing to give. I just want to repay as many people as I can from this area who helped me get to this moment,” he said. “Obviously, there are donations that can be made, but things that are made impactful when I’m able to spend time with people in the area. The more I can do that, the more fulfilling this will be.”
Stay up to date with Joe!
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This post was previously published on The Sport of Philanthropy and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Athens Food Pantry’s Facebook