Joe Burrow delivered a moving Heisman Trophy acceptance speech in New York on Saturday night that sparked hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations.
During his speech, Burrow talked about his Southeast Ohio roots and the poverty in the area. He mentioned how so many kids in Athens County, Ohio go home hungry.
“There are so many people there who don’t have a lot,” Burrow said. “I’m up here for all those kids in Athens and Athens County who go home with not a lot of food on the table, hungry after school. You guys can be up here, too.”
The LSU quarterback’s comments inspired donations to the Athens County Food Pantry that as of Monday had totaled over $250,000.
On Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden recognized Burrow in a tweet. He praised the Heisman Trophy winner for his “humility” that is “inspiring.”
Joe Burrow worked hard to reach the pinnacle of college football, but he never forgot the everyday struggle of the community he came from. Joe – your humility is inspiring. Thank you for reminding us to never forget those less fortunate than us. https://t.co/EYbtU86c0D
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) December 19, 2019
We immediately characterized Burrow’s speech as an “all-time great” one (you can see it here). Based on the donations since and words of recognition from others, most people who saw it seem to agree.
Burrow’s Tigers will face Oklahoma in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff game on Saturday December 28.
