Joe Burrow addresses controversial moment during Bengals training camp
It took exactly one training camp practice before Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had to address a "camp controversy". And really, it's not much of a controversy. During Cincinnati's first training camp practice, offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr and defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson got into a bit of a scuffle (it was bad enough that […]
It took exactly one training camp practice before Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had to address a "camp controversy".
And really, it's not much of a controversy.
During Cincinnati's first training camp practice, offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr and defensive lineman Trey Hendrickson got into a bit of a scuffle (it was bad enough that Hendrickson was seen with "massive" claw marks on his neck).
Brown, who signed a four-year deal with the Bengals during the offseason, apologized after practice for the fight.
“I never want to be the guy my teammates look at like that,” said Brown. “I was really fired up in the moment, and things got a little intense. I just blacked out. It just happens. That’s football. I can’t even describe it any other way.”
Burrow also met with reporters on Wednesday and he was unsurprisingly asked about the melee.
"You see fights along the way when you play this game long enough," said Burrow. "They usually happen pretty quickly because that's when guys aren't very tired. Day one of camp, third rep. Guys aren't tired yet. Everybody's excited to be here. You know, adrenaline's pumping, so that's usually when it happens."
Burrow is no stranger to scuffling with teammates. While at LSU, Burrow famously got into a fight with linebacker Patrick Queen.
“We was at spring practice, one of the hottest practices ever,” said Queen last summer (via the Ravens). “JaCoby (Stevens) blitzes and hits Joe, they get up wrestling and stuff. Coach O stops them and is like ‘hey, don’t hit Joe’. So Joe (is) over there sitting, talking trash and I’m over there like ‘OK, cool’. So the next play comes, I hit Joe. Boom. On purpose."
“Coach O is like ‘don’t hit Joe, I’m not gonna say it no more.' So we’re like OK, we get back in the huddle, ‘we’re hitting Joe again.' So Joe rolls out on a pass, throws the pass, it's complete, I push him. Start talking trash, start jumping in his face doing like a cowboy dance in his face and stuff. All I see is him reach back and boom, punches me, with the face mask on and everything. I looked back and said, ‘Joe really just hit me.' Next thing you know we were all wrestling, we’re on the ground fighting. I got Joe in a headlock and he’s sitting there punching me in the stomach.”
(Queen also said there's never been any bad blood with Burrow because of that fight.)
That LSU team went on to win the national championship (ironically against a Clemson team that featured now-Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins). So when Burrow laughs off the fight between Brown and Hendrickson, it's a signal for Bengals fans to do the same.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow makes bold statement that will annoy rival fans
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made a bold statement that he can back up
Featured image via Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
