Mayor pitches food bank partnership to Burrows

John Cranley hasn't had a chance to meet Joe Burrow yet, but the Cincinnati mayor has a big idea for how the Bengals' rookie quarterback can help people in the southern corners of Ohio.

So Cranley first took his idea to Burrow's parents.

The Democratic mayor dined with Jimmy and Robin Burrow in Athens on Tuesday night to pitch them on the idea of their son jointly helping Cincinnati's Freestore Foodbank and the Athens County Food Pantry.

Joe Burrow raised $500,000 for his hometown charity when he addressed the poverty issue in southeast Ohio during his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech in December. Last month, Burrow announced the Joe Burrow Relief Fund to help fight hunger across poverty-stricken southeast Ohio.

"We talked about how we might be able to leverage that in Cincinnati," Cranley said. "And not just how Joe could help the Freestore Foodbank, but have Bengals fans help out in the Athens area, too. What I proposed was if Joe decided to push the Freestore Foodbank, maybe each dollar donated could be split between the city and Appalachia."

Cranley added: "They were inspired about it and said they were willing to help."

Cranley and Burrow’s parents talked about several other topics while dining for several hours at the Ohio University Inn.

"They are incredibly nice people who are happily gaining a great deal of pride in Cincinnati," Cranley said. "We talked a lot about college football, and of course, a lot about Joe. They are proud parents."

What did mom and dad Burrow have to say about the NFL'S rookie sensation?

"They’re sort of blown away by how he gets in the zone during the season," Cranley said. "Once he’s in the season, he’s all about performance and incredibly self-disciplined. And like all parents, they said they wish he would call home more often."

Cranley was in southeast Ohio on Tuesday and Wednesday as part of his ongoing exploration of a potential run for governor in 2022. The meeting with the Burrows was not part of his campaign efforts, he said.

"We talked politics, but we did not talk about my political ambitions at all," Cranley said. "Mr. Burrow said their Republican friends had told them that they had heard good things about me," Cranley added, chuckling.

The meeting had been in the works since soon after the Bengals made Burrow the No. 1 overall pick from LSU in the NFL Draft in April.

Cranley was initially connected with Burrow's agent through Zack Space, a former Democratic congressman who's district covered parts of Athens County. Space does work helping poor families in Ohio's Appalachian region, and Cranley said his fellow Democrat and longtime friend thought the mayor should connect with the Burrow family.

Jimmy and Robin Burrow aren't originally from Athens. They came to southeast Ohio in 2005, when Jimmy landed an assistant coaching job under old friend Frank Solich at Ohio University. Joe was 8 years old when the family moved there. The Burrows talked to Cranley about how important it is to Joe that he maintains a connection to southeast Ohio.

"They shared that Joe wants them to always keep their home in Athens," Cranley said. "The balance of their lives is to make a difference in Appalachia."