Joe Burrow still thankful Tom Herman believed in him when few did: 'I owe a lot to Coach Herman'
Joe Burrow may currently be among the Heisman Trophy favorites following his five-touchdown performance last weekend in LSU’s 55-3 season-opening win over Georgia Southern but it wasn’t that long ago that few believed the Ohio native even had what it took to play quarterback at college football’s highest level.
If not for Tom Herman, there’s little chance Burrow would be a starting quarterback in the SEC today.
During his recent media availability, Burrow discussed his relationship with the coach he’s set to face off against in Austin this weekend when the Tigers hit the road for a showdown with Texas.
“I owe a lot to Coach Herman. He was really the only coach from a big-time program that had any faith in me,” Burrow said in a YouTube video shared by Tiger Details. “There were a lot of people from inside the (Ohio State) program that didn’t really feel like taking me. Coach Herman turned the table for me, so I owe a lot to Coach Herman. He is a great man and a great coach.”
So what was it that gave Herman faith that Burrow could play quarterback for Ohio State? According to Burrow, he won over the former Buckeye offensive coordinator during a high school throwing session.
“Yeah, that was probably the best I’ve thrown in my entire life,” Burrow commented. “I walked off the field and said, ‘If they don’t offer me after that one then I’m just not good enough.’ But he kinda fell in love with me that day, went back to Columbus and kinda stood on the table for me.”
Interestingly enough, Burrow never had the opportunity to play for the coach that had the most faith in him, as Herman left Ohio State to take over the head coaching position at Houston before Burrow had the chance to sign with Ohio State. According to Burrow, Herman received a call during his official visit to Ohio State that may have sealed the deal for Herman’s exit to Houston.
“They were telling me that he was probably going to get offered that job,” Burrow continued. “It was me, Coach Meyer, my family and Coach Herman. Then Coach Herman had to take a call, walked out — I don’t think he ever told me he got offered the job but I think it was in the news the next day.”
Burrow added that the option to follow Herman to Houston was never discussed but it’s interesting to think about where he would be if that did occur. Either way, Burrow has finally been given a chance to shine, and ironically enough, his defining moment could come against the coach that fought the hardest to put him in a position to show what he can do on the football field.