Jimmy Burrow reflects on Joe’s on-field, off-field success

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - As Joe Burrow prepares to take on another tough team on Sunday, his father, Jimmy Burrow, reflects on his son’s on and off-field accomplishments.

Being the father of an NFL superstar like Joe can cause a special kind of nervousness, but it’s the kind that pays off.

“I thought maybe after all these years as a coach and watching Joe that maybe one of these days I wouldn’t be nervous and stressed out, but I guess I’ve already decided that’s just the way it’s gonna be,” Jimmy explains. “But it was awesome, the crowd was fantastic, and it was a lot of fun.”

Seeing their son rise to fame after so much success on the field is an incredible feeling for Jimmy and Robin Burrow.

“When we go to Cincinnati on game day, and we see all the No. 9s, you have to take a deep breath and say, ‘this, this is real, not a dream,’” Jimmy says.

It’s that overwhelming support for Joe and the Bengals which led to the creation of The Joe Burrow Foundation. The nonprofit was launched in October and focuses on giving children access to food and mental healthcare.

“Joe says, ‘everybody has the responsibility to do good,’” Jimmy explains. “I don’t know if you’ve seen my sweatshirt, but it says, ‘do good,’ and people really do want to do good, and there’s been tons of support.”

Almost immediately, Jimmy watched as donations started to soar.

It helped them tackle some of their first initiatives, like paying medical bills for 20 families with patients at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.

“We partnered with COSI to provide lunchboxes at two different elementary schools,” Jimmy recalls. “I was at one school in Cincinnati as a part of that and my wife’s school; she’s the principal at Eastern Local. During Christmas, we purchased toys for some people for the service people that maybe weren’t at home or wherever for their kids.”

Seeing the smiles on the faces of those they’re helping makes it all worthwhile.

“When we paid those medical bills, a mom would send back a message, or a text or something, and said it was the best day of her life,” Jimmy says.

For Jimmy, his son’s dedication, both on and off the field, comes as no surprise.

Joe isn’t alone in wanting to make a difference.

Other Bengals players, like Sam Hubbard and Jessie Bates III, have their own foundations, and that, Jimmy says, is a testament to the team.

“I think the people they [Bengals] bring in, the people they draft, character matters,” Jimmy states. “Yeah, you want to have great football players, but they’ve, they’ve really done their due diligence to make sure, ‘hey, we’re not just getting a great football player, but we’re getting a great person.’ It kind of translates onto the field because it’s guys playing together, playing for each other, and never giving up.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the Joe Burrow Foundation can visit the organization’s website.

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