Even though he only just finished his third season in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s already been a storybook football career for star quarterback Joe Burrow after he went from backup quarterback with the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national champion and Heisman Trophy winner with the LSU Tigers, then was selected No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals and led the team to the Super Bowl in just his second season. And that storybook career is not getting a literal storybook.
According to NFL insider Adam Schefter of ESPN, Joe Burrow’s first youth football coach, Sam Smathers, has co-written a book detailing his story and journey from the perspective of his hometown of Athens, Ohio.
“Joe Burrow’s first youth football coach Sam Smathers, along with co-author Scott Burson, have co-written a book about the Cincinnati QB called, ‘From Bulldog to Bengal: The Joe Burrow Story Through the Eyes of His Hometown’ that Orange Frazer Press will publish next month,” Schefter said in a tweet.
Joe Burrow’s first youth football coach Sam Smathers, along with co-author Scott Burson, have co-written a book about the Cincinnati QB called, “From Bulldog to Bengal: The Joe Burrow Story Through the Eyes of His Hometown” that Orange Frazer Press will publish next month. pic.twitter.com/hDVQRma9UI
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 6, 2023
It’s a pretty major honor and announcement for such a young quarterback and the NFL world had plenty to say about the news on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/chiefmuterspaw/status/1632821844137967616?s=20
Should be a good read
— Jacob Lintner (@lintnermedia) March 6, 2023
Wilmington publisher Orange Frazer getting a shout-out from @AdamSchefter! Good read for Bengals fans. https://t.co/jYNBvCJTik
— Tyler Williams (@tw1387) March 7, 2023
Sam used to offer me a beer before every Athens home game – as the play by play guy I was always tempted, but thought better of it.
Please preorder this book – and help out a man who's built on loyalty, love, football, and delicious food. https://t.co/Jb6EHvxsBa
— Lukas Moore (@MooreLukas) March 6, 2023
I met Sam Smathers in the fall of 2016 when I started covering the Athens Bulldogs for Power 105.5 in Southeast Ohio.
He told me on the first day I met him how special Joe Burrow is. This book is an amazing collection of those stories they shared with me. https://t.co/q1onMKa6de
— The 3AM Coney Podcast (@3amConey) March 6, 2023
Burrow still has plenty of time to add more chapters to his career, but a book like this is certainly an honor.
