Twitter Joe Burrow parents, Jimmy and Robin Burrow, pictured with the LSU quarterback.
Joe Burrow’s parents, Jimmy and Robin Burrow, have become regulars at LSU football games. Joe’s mom, Robin, has been going to Tigers games since he transferred from Ohio State, but his father, Jimmy, is a recent addition.
After decades as a college football coach, Jimmy retired from Ohio University earlier in 2019 meaning he can now attend LSU games. Jimmy looks to be taking full advantage of his new fandom as the camera caught him giving the “horns down” sign prior to the LSU-Texas game. The clip went viral after ABC picked up the moment on live TV. LSU head coach Ed Orgeron noted you can see Joe’s family connection to football with his play on the field.
“First of all, he has a lot of poise,” Orgeron told the Daily Advertiser. “He doesn’t get rattled. He’s a seasoned vet. He’s a coach’s son. He knows the adjustments as well as any other coach. He could call the plays. He’s good enough to do that.”
Learn more about the Burrow family.
1. Joe’s Dad, Jimmy, Played College Football at Nebraska & Was Drafted by the Green Bay Packers
Joe Burrow’s dad is every LSU fan 😂
Prior to coaching, Jimmy was a football player just like his son. Jimmy began his college career at Ole Miss before transferring to Nebraska, per the Daily Advertiser. Jimmy was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the eighth round of the 1976 NFL draft. Joe’s dad played in just three games for the Packers as a cornerback, per Pro Football Reference. Jimmy was able to transition into a successful career in the Canadian Football League where he played five seasons, per Ohio University Athletics.
Jimmy played for the Montreal Alouettes where he made three Grey Cup finals and won a championship. He also had short stints with the Calgary Stampeders and Ottawa Rough Rides. Jimmy was a back-to-back member of the CFL Eastern Conference All-Star team in 1978 and 1979.
2. Jimmy Retired as a College Football Coach at Ohio University in 2019
Jimmy retired from coaching in 2019 after spending 14 years as the defensive coordinator at Ohio University. Jimmy also had coaching stops at Washington State and Iowa State. Now that he is retired, Jimmy is able to attend his son’s games at LSU.
“I’ll give you a number,” Jimmy noted to the Daily Advertiser. “Counting my playing days, Aug. 1 of this year was the first Aug. 1 in 51 years that I haven’t been on a practice field either as a player or as a coach. That’s a long time. Aug. 1 was weird.”
While Jimmy admitted there has been a bit of a transition, Joe’s father emphasized that he wanted to see his son play more during his senior season. Joe’s mom had to travel solo to the majority of his games in 2018.
“I didn’t want to miss Joe’s senior year,” Jimmy explained to the Daily Advertiser. “My wife Robin traveled to every game last season, and I went to only three. I didn’t want to not be involved with my wife traveling to every game. All my family’s been telling me how great a game is in Baton Rouge. And Joe’s a part of that. And they’re having such a great time with the tailgating and just being a part of LSU football. I didn’t want to miss that…In the end, I wanted to be a part of Joe’s senior year as a parent and as a fan.”
3. When Joe Was at Ohio State, His Mom, Robin, Would Drive to Columbus to Wash His Clothes
Louisiana is a long way away from Ohio, but Joe began his college career at Ohio State. Joe’s mother would drive 70 miles from Athens to Columbus to do his laundry.
Joe noted to the American Press that it is “a little embarrassing” that he did not do his own laundry. Now that Joe is at LSU, he has had to be a bit more independent. Joe admitted he has gotten better at cooking since he arrived at Baton Rouge.
“I’m kind of a health nut,” Joe explained to American Press. “So when I first got here I was looking for a health food store. I Googled it … there’s none of those places down here. It’s fried seafood, fried chicken, fried catfish. I had to learn how to cook real quickly. But I learned how to eat crawfish. So I’m set for the rest of my life.”
4. Joe’s Father Wants Him to Slide More Often
Joe has admitted he is not a fan of sliding, but his physical style of play worries his parents. Jimmy noted he would like to see his son avoid hits and slide more often to protect himself from potential injuries.
“There are better things to do than to try to run through a SEC defensive player,” Jimmy noted to the Daily Advertiser. “But that’s his mentality. The physical nature of his play will always be a part of that. So you let that be. Now, I’m not going to tell you that I might say, ‘Why did you make that throw?’ Or, ‘You really don’t need to show off that toughness all the time.’ That happened with us all the way with him growing up.”
5. Joe’s Older Brothers, Jamie & Dan, Played College Football at Nebraska
Joe comes from an athletic family as his two older brothers, Jamie and Dan, both played college football at Nebraska. Joe’s brothers come from Jimmy’s previous marriage, per The Advocate. Joe’s uncle Johnny played football at Ole Miss and it is more than appropriate to say that the LSU quarterback comes from a football family.
During the 2001 Rose Bowl, Joe watched his brother, Jamie, start at middle linebacker while his father was an assistant coach at Nebraska. Jimmy credits Joe’s two brothers for his physical style of play.
“He had no choice, we weren’t going to let him not play physical,” Jimmy told Sports Illustrated.