LSU's Brian Kelly Talks Return of Joe Burrow, Former Tigers for Spring Game

Burrow, many others were in Baton Rouge during spring game weekend as Tigers begin new era of program

Brian Kelly was a little bit "salty" when meeting Joe Burrow in Baton Rouge over the weekend. In Cincinnati there's a popular steak restaurant called Jeff Ruby's and there's a "petite" steak named after Kelly.

Following Burrow's Heisman trophy winning season at LSU that gained him national acclaim, the same restaurant named a different, larger steak after Burrow. Burrow's steak is "massive" and includes a portion of crawfish etouffee on top. 

"Like, really? Oh, that's right. He won a national championship," Kelly joked with reporters after the spring game. "I was envious of the steak named after him."

Both Burrow and Kelly came to LSU from the midwest and share that kind of change in culture, with Kelly coming from Notre Dame and Burrow Ohio State. The two spent plenty of time discussing the transition to Baton Rouge and the south, with Kelly appreciating just how much Burrow and that 2019 team means to the Tiger faithful.

"We had a great time and got a chance to talk a little bit about his time here and how much it meant to him," Kelly said. "Certainly having spent time in the midwest, how much that transition for me and him, there's some similar paths. We're kind of sharing the same experience with how much we both enjoyed it."

Burrow was one of many former players from that 2019 team, including Ja'Marr Chase, Clyde Edwards-Helaire, Justin Jefferson, Thaddeus Moss and Derek Stingley who all made an appearance at the spring game together. When the group walked into the stadium about midway through the second quarter, it drew the biggest applause of the afternoon from the Tigers' faithful. 

Throughout the weekend, Burrow and company were seen taking multiple photos around town, particularly with some important, high profile recruits. That kind of support from alumni of the program is just one more of the reasons that Kelly views LSU as a unique opportunity, one with a rich history behind it that the program will continue to embrace. 

"Ja'Marr is such a nice young man. You can see how he was embraced here, both of them," Kelly said. "It was nice to connect this week, I did a couple of L-Club events and to see our alums back in town, hundreds of alums, it's nice to see that bridge that has our alumni coming back to town and being a part of LSU football."