CINCINNATI, Ohio — It was long speculated, but now it’s a reality. The Cincinnati Bengals have taken LSU star Joe Burrow to lead the team into a new era.

• The Cincinnati Bengals drafted Joe Burrow No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft
• Burrow is excited and ready to get to work in Cincinnati
• Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor said Burrow was the clear choice for the top pick, citing his confidence and leadership as reasons why the Bengals chose him

And Burrow is amped up and ready to get to work in Cincinnati.

“I was excited about it,” Burrow said. “It’s a dream come true to finally be picked and to get to play so close to home. Me and my family couldn’t be more excited about it.”  

And while he has earned the designation as the top player in the draft, he’s not letting that change him.

“Now that I’m the number one pick, it doesn’t mean anything in four months,” he said. “So I’m going to continue to work really, really hard to be the best player that I can be for this team, this franchise and this city.”

Bengals Head Coach Zac Taylor said Burrow stood out above all other prospects and was the clear choice for Cincinnati to rebuild their franchise around.

“He gets the most out of those guys around him,” Taylor said. “He’s got the respect of his coaches and teammates that he’s played with, everywhere. We talked to people at Ohio State, we talked to people at LSU, they all love the guy. We’re excited to add him to our building. That’s the type of character and leadership we’re looking to add as we continue to grow this thing.

Taylor said with the designation of being the top pick there is pressure, and he believes Burrow is ready for that.

“I think he understands the platform that he has being the number one pick, playing in his home state,” Taylor said. “He understands the attention that brings and how to handle himself, we’re excited to get know him even better and work with him a lot more closely now.”

So who is Joe Burrow? For those who don’t know, Burrow is a native of The Plains, who won Mr. Football in 2014 at Athens High School.

He committed to Ohio State but never got the chance to start in Columbus, so he transferred to LSU, where last season he lit up the college football record books and led the Tigers to a National Championship — winning the Heisman Trophy in the process.

Taylor said Burrow’s confidence is one of the biggest reasons the Bengals chose him number one overall.

“It’s a confidence that he’s earned, because he’s put in the work,” Taylor said. “He’s achieved the success on the field by winning the National Championship, winning the Heisman trophy. I can tell he doesn’t take that for granted. He knows that he’s going to have to continue to work even harder that he ever has before at this next level. There’s going to be new challenges that he’s hasn’t faced before  But, you can just tell that he’s comfortable in his own skin and he’s very comfortable with what we’re going to ask him to do.”

So, Cincinnati ends up with college football’s most decorated player from last season — taking the LSU Tiger to lead the Cincinnati Bengals into a new era.