"What he said" - Shaquille O'Neal shares fellow LSU alum Joe Burrow's snide comment on Ohio State Buckeyes fans from his college days
Shaquille O'Neal, a huge football fanatic, is also a big fan of fellow LSU graduate Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow just played the biggest game of his life, leading the Bengals’ incredible upset over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. The former Heisman Trophy winner’s success was well-received by millions, including Ohio State University football fans.
The sophomore play-caller spent his first three seasons of college football playing for Ohio State before transferring to LSU. Shaquille O'Neal posted Burrow’s statement regarding Ohio State Buckeyes fans lauding him as the first player from the university to play in the Super Bowl.
Here’s what the Bengals quarterback had to say to football fans of his former school:
“It’s not where you start, it’s where you finish. I’ll always be an LSU Tiger. I don’t know why Ohio State fans try to claim me.”
Before becoming a football superstar at Shaquille O'Neal’s alma mater, Joe Burrow was a third-string quarterback at Ohio State. He eventually managed to vie for a starting spot but lost the battle to Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback Dwayne Haskins. Burrow authored one of the best seasons while at LSU, leading the Tigers to the title and winning the Heisman Trophy in the process.
While Haskins has struggled, the 25-year-old Burrow is flourishing in the NFL. The Athens, Ohio native led the Cincinnati Bengals to a stunning 27-24 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC championship game. After falling behind 21-3 midway through the second quarter, he dragged the Bengals to a furious comeback to force overtime and an eventual win to advance to the Superbowl. He also won the 2021 Comeback Player of the Year award and is living up to the expectations of being a No.1 overall draft pick.
Despite recognizing everything Ohio State has helped him with, Joe Burrow is apparently dismissing any notions of him being a Buckeye. He is putting his stamp, like Shaquille O'Neal, as a true and loyal LSU Tiger.
Could Joe Burrow have made it in the NBA?
Before falling in love with football, Joe Burrow had a solid high school basketball career. He averaged 17.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game in three years of high school hoops. What he could have become had he pursued a career in basketball will never be known.
In an interview with Taylor Rooks back in 2020, Burrow was pretty confident, though, that he’ll more than just make it to the NBA. He was sure that he could average at least 12 to 15 points if he gets to play with a true playmaker like LeBron James or Chris Paul.