He’s the Cincinnati Bengals’ new style icon, he’s a cool sock – and an “ice-cold killer” on the field. How is it that a 25-year-old quarterback is so ripped off in his second season and before the Super Bowl?

Munich – What kind of a funny bird is that, please?

With respect, but this is an easy question to ask yourself when you see Joe Burrow on his way to the stadium before the games. The first glance might be a bit confusing: Airpods in his ear, an extravagant jacket, plus a necklace with diamonds, pendant with initials included. And of course, the eye-catching sunglasses are not to be missed.

Yes, today’s generation of players also sets fashion accents, but with the 25-year-old it sometimes seems as if he had left the catwalk from the 1980s straight for the 2021 NFL season.

Incidentally, he recently described the bling as “definitely real. I make too much money to have fake ones”.

Oha.

And a pair of rose-tinted sunglasses, which also seemed like a relic from the 80s, he wears because he thinks “they’re cool”. What the others think doesn’t matter.

Is that still swag now? Or already fake? Is he a cool style-setter? Or are these rather silly appearances?

OBJ verdict: “Smooth and cool “

There’s a player at Super Bowl opponent Los Angeles Rams who can rate the burrow swag. And from Odell Beckham Jr. there’s something of a style-swag knighthood for the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback then.

“If you look up ‘cool’ in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of him wearing Cartier glasses. This guy is smooth. You can’t help but like him, he’s going to be one of the greats, I think. I really believe that,” OBJ said, adding, “Joe Burrow, yeah, he’s definitely cool, for sure.”

Cool, cool, Burrow.

It’s always a fine line, though, when you come across as the 2020 No. 1 pick. The important point: where it comes across as put-on and effortful in others, Burrow’s natural manner comes across. Because it is the result of a good portion of self-confidence. On the outside, you might be able to play to people for a while. Teammates, on the other hand, see right through you. Instead, Burrow has accomplished with the Bengals what great quarterbacks do: The team trusts him, knows he can make the difference at any moment.

“He’s got ice in his veins,” tight end C.J. Uzomah said. “He has the utmost confidence. We have him in the huddle, we have his presence, his mind and his ability to analyse the defence and be a leader. He’s a stone-cold killer out there analysing the defence.”

“Joe Cool” is therefore a nickname of his, “Joe Brr” as well, “Joe Shiesty” or even “Joey Franchise”. Because, according to Uzomah, he can “turn an organisation around”. “It’s a team game, but he’s a big part of why we are where we are. He’s the man. “

Tom Brady is jealous

But how is it that the man even legend Tom Brady (“He’s got tools I didn’t have at his age. I love his game!”) is a bit envious, in his second NFL season and brimming with confidence after tearing his ACL during his first?

The parents don’t know their son any other way. “He’s always been very focused on preparing himself for whatever he’s going to do, whether it’s in sports, school or any other area of life, and I think that makes him confident,” his mother Robin told Reuters. Dad Jimmy reveals that the Filius was so confident in other sports as well. He still is today. “In the NBA, I would score 12 to 15 points,” Joe is sure.

What shaped him was his college years. Because he didn’t make it at Ohio State, he transferred to LSU after three seasons in 2018 and still had two years to pull something off. Perfect timing: he made the breakthrough in his senior year.

“At Ohio State, I was confident, but maybe not as confident as I’ve been in the past and would be in the future,” he said. “I wasn’t playing, and those are the moments where you really learn a lot about yourself as a player and as a person. “

Be there on the dot

What he learned: to be there on the dot

Joe Burrow has played 6 “have to have it games” in his career.

2019 LSU
Bama
Georgia (SEC title)
Oklahoma (semi)
Clemson (natty)

2021 BENGALS
Ravens (Week 16)
Chiefs (Week 17)

In those games:

6-0 W-L
2,669 Pass Yds (444/game)
27 TD
0 Int @PaulHembo

– Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) January 12, 2022

He succeeded in college, and now he’s succeeding in the NFL. In the crucial title-year games in college and the final two days of NFL 2021, he’s coming off 444 yards per game and 27 total touchdowns.

In the playoffs, he added 842 yards and four touchdowns in three games – combined with his confidence, which the NFL captured in a short clip.

Confidence on

He’s Joe Shiesty for a reason @Bengals pic.twitter.com/ASkaP5EOdh

– NFL Films (@NFLFilms) February 8, 2022

“He’s made for this stage,” said his coach Zac Taylor. “He’s played for state championships and national championships, and now he’s playing for the Super Bowl. I think that’s always been his expectation. He’s not surprised by it; he’s grown from those opportunities.”

Mindset is the key word. The head, the attitude.

Tom Brady a role model

While the challenges, the games and opponents get bigger, his approach remains the same. Burrow: “It all feels the same, but I’ve got more experience in those situations now, so I’m probably a bit more calm.” As a guest on Brady’s Let’s Go podcast, Burrow also revealed the role the GOAT plays in his mindset. “I saw you take a bad hit against the Bills in 2001. You got back up so fast, that inspired me. I said to myself, ‘I want to be like you!’ That scene is still a role model for me today!” said Burrow.

The intriguing mix of confidence, arrogance and his skills is something even his coaches can’t quite grasp. Offensive coordinator Brian Callahan tries it this way on The Athletic: “All that confidence and smirk, he wants to take your damn soul. People sense that.”

As a result, his teammates follow him blindly, and he drives opponents to despair.

It’s rare what Burrow has, Taylor said. “It’s hard to describe. That’s the best way to describe it. You have to experience it to its full extent to really understand it.”

The next opportunity to experience the Joe Burrow phenomenon will be at the Super Bowl