John Ross believes Joe Burrow will have positive impact on him and the Bengals
The Bengals drafted Joe Burrow to help turn around their franchise.
After four straight losing seasons, including a 2-14 campaign in 2019, it was time to bring in a new quarterback.
Burrow had arguably the best season in college football history last year, en route to a national championship.
One of the Bengals most dynamic weapons got a chance to workout with the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner before the NFL Draft.
“I love his demeanor. I said that from the first time I met him," wide receiver John Ross said. "You can tell he’s a work hard guy, ready to get things going and he’ll get after it. First day was good. Second day was better. Third day was better. It just kept getting better.
“He kept the same demeanor, the same attitude. I can tell how hungry he is and how much he wants it."
Ross, 24, is entering his fourth NFL season. He's only 13 months older than Burrow.
The duo worked out together in California in February. The Bengals hope it was the start of a great rapport between their top pick and the fastest man in football.
"It was real great to be able to do that before the season just to get a glimpse of how things are going to be,” Ross said.
The past few years have been challenging for Ross. He's dealt with multiple injuries and admitted that he lost his confidence during his first two NFL seasons.
There's a belief in NFL circles that Ross could have a breakout season with Burrow under center. His new quarterback is confident and accurate, which are two traits that any wide receiver could benefit from.
"I think it [Burrow's confidence] will have an impact on me," Ross said. "I personally think confidence is contagious. I think that energy is contagious. I think positivity is contagious and I see a lot of that in him. Watching his games, just him on the field — somebody catches a good ball or drops a ball or runs a nice route or if it’s a bad ball from him… just the energy that he gives you, he wants to get it right. He wants to make sure that everybody is right."
Burrow has been praised by everyone for his leadership ability. His college coaches and teammates rave about him and not just the ones from LSU. His former Ohio State teammates love him too.
Ross doesn't think Burrow will have any trouble leading the young Bengals this season.
“He’s someone you can adapt to very easily. I think he’s very adaptable and he gets it," Ross said. "Someone who knows how to talk to people and [can] direct traffic because that’s what you want your quarterback to do. You want your quarterback to direct traffic and make everything make sense. That’s exactly what he does. I can tell that he’s going to be someone that everyone turns to and likes immediately.”
