If the underdog Cincinnati Bengals outlast the hometown Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56, Joe Burrow would become the first quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy, a college national title, and a Lombardi Trophy. Quite a list of accomplishments for an athlete who recently turned 25.
In his short time as a pro, Burrow has exemplified a franchise leader. Off the field, he exudes championship-level confidence, and on the field, he shows toughness by standing in the pocket and making key throws. Burrow checks off all the boxes, and he's unfazed by the moment.
"It's too bad that Joe Montana already had the 'Joe Cool' nickname, because it certainly applies to Burrow," Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard told After Hours with Amy Lawrence on Monday. "We can't steal it and use it for him. But he's cool without trying to be cool, which I love about him. I asked him a question at a news conference about two weeks ago. I said, 'Have you ever been lousy in a postseason game in any sport at any age of your life?'
So, high school basketball, peewee football, whatever. And he thought about it for a second, chuckled, and said no. I believe that to be true. If you look at his track record -- certainly at LSU, where he won every postseason game he played in, including six touchdowns in a national championship, and the three playoff games he's played in the NFL so far -- he's risen to the occasion every single time. And I suspect he probably will again in a week."
Cincinnati overcame an 18-point deficit in the AFC championship to upset the reigning conference champion Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 30. During the final 29 minutes of play, Burrow orchestrated four clutch scoring drives, and threw for 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception overall. It's been 33 years since the Bengals last appeared in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl 56 between Cincinnati and Los Angeles will take place on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, with kickoff scheduled for 6:30 ET. According to projections from FiveThirtyEight, the Bengals currently have a 32-percent chance to win. Before the regular season, they were given less than a 1-percent chance.
The entire Super Bowl 56 conversation between Hoard and Lawrence can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow After Hours With Amy Lawrence on Twitter @ALawRadio and @AfterHoursCBS, and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.