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April 22 (UPI) -- LSU football coach Ed Orgeron "doesn't see any reason" quarterback Joe Burrow can't build a championship team for the Cincinnati Bengals. "Nothing was promised to him here [at LSU]," Orgeron said Tuesday on WWL radio. "He came here with faith and built a championship team. And I don't see why he couldn't do it at Cincinnati."
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The Bengals are expected to select Burrow with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Orgeron spoke about Burrow's journey from a backup at Ohio State to the Heisman Trophy winner at LSU. He said Burrow "kept his mouth shut" and fought through adversity at both schools before he authored one of the best seasons in college football history.
"Joe has not had a silver spoon in his mouth all his life," Orgeron said. "I think Joe has had to fight all his life. And I think if he does have to fight -- and it may be Cincinnati -- he's willing to fight for that. And he's willing to build a team. And he's willing to go through adversity if he has to."
The Bengals have been one of the least succesful franchises in the NFL, with zero playoff wins in the last three decades. Cincinnati has never won a Super Bowl. The Tigers already had a championship pedigree before Burrow's arrival in Baton Rouge, La.
Orgeron called Burrow the "most focused" football player he has ever been around.
"We gave him the team," the Tigers coach said.
Burrow leads an ambush of Tigers expected to be picked in the 2020 NFL Draft. Ohio State holds the record for most players selected in a seven-round draft. The Buckeyes had 14 players picked in 2004.
The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft starts at 8 p.m. EDT Thursday and airs on NFL Network, ESPN and ABC.
