By Rory Carroll
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Joe Burrow’s leadership style relies on the personal relationships he has built with his team mates, the Cincinnati quarterback said on Friday, two days before he leads the Bengals in Super Bowl 56.
The softly-spoken 25-year-old donned sunglasses and appeared relaxed while fielding questions from the media following practice on the campus of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
“I think the key is figuring out how to communicate with a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds within the locker room,” Burrow said.
“You have to know how to talk to the redneck from South Dakota Riley Reiff, and you gotta know how to talk to guys from Chicago and Atlanta and from all over the country.
“So I think working hard on building those relationships is the key.”
Burrow won the 2021 AP Comeback Player of the Year on Thursday for overcoming a knee injury that cut the number one overall draft pick’s rookie season short.
He bounced back and has exceeded all expectations this season to lead the long-suffering Bengals to their first NFL title game since 1989.
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Burrow leads by example.
“He puts in the work. He sets the standard. People need to match that standard,” Taylor said.
“He’s not a yeller and a screamer because leadership does not have to be that way.
“He gets his job done. He expects others to do the same. He’s got a great rapport with each guy. It’s not always the same. It’s different for each guy. The team really rallies around him and believes in him.”
It will take a complete team effort if the underdog Bengals are to overcome the Los Angeles Rams, who have the advantage of playing on their home field.
But “Joe Cool” said the team has done a good job of staying focused and loose since touching down in LA.
“I’m definitely pro-actively thinking about eliminating distractions within my life, whether it’s on my phone, family, tickets, all of that,” he said.
“I’m just trying to stay as focused as I can.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Toby Davis)
