In some ways, the road Joe Burrow traveled to the Super Bowl began in the wake of a brutal hit that left him on the turf at the Fiesta Bowl, struggling to catch his breath.
The setting was the Fiesta Bowl between LSU and Central Florida, at the end of the 2018 college football season. The Tigers trailed 7-3 in the first quarter, but Burrow had LSU on the move. Facing a 3rd and 8, Burrow dropped to throw, but his pass found defensive back Brandon Moore, and was returned for a touchdown to give the Knights a 14-3 lead.
What sent Burrow to the turf? This hit from defensive lineman Joey Connors:
