CINCINNATI -- Joe Burrow should have been happy.
It was his first varsity start for Athens High. As a sophomore, he threw for four touchdowns as the team ran a new offense. But it was still a loss -- 52-34 to Gallia Academy. And the outcome didn't sit well with him.
"That let me know right away that Joe was about winning," said Nathan White, the then-offensive coordinator and current Athens head coach. "I will never forget that.
"I remember telling him, 'Man, you played great. This is your first game and you threw for a bunch of yards and touchdowns.