Joe Burrow is a smart guy, which is something Tom Brady knew prior to the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback taking the NFL by storm.
In fact, Brady was made aware of Burrow's intelligence even before the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner broke onto the national spotlight during his historic season at LSU.
Burrow's collegiate tenure was wrapped up in Baton Rouge, but it began in Columbus, Ohio. The 25-year-old spent three seasons with the Buckeyes before quarterbacking the Tigers for two campaigns. Brady, a Michigan product, couldn't give Burrow enough credit for leaving Ohio State.
"I know, Joe, obviously a great player," Brady said on the latest "Let's Go!" podcast, as transcribed by Cincinnati.com. "I think one of the great decisions he ever made was leaving Ohio State to get out of that godforsaken place and go to LSU. As a Michigan man, I could tell how smart he was when he did that. Thank God. That was one of the best decisions you ever made, Joe."
Making Ohio State look foolish isn't the only reason Brady is a fan of Burrow. The future Hall of Famer also admires the budding superstar's toughness, an attribute that isn't exactly commonplace among quarterbacks.
Burrow's smarts and grittiness will need to be on full display next Sunday if the Bengals want to beat the Los Angeles Rams and hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
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