TOLEDO, Ohio — The last team to beat Joe Burrow in the postseason? The Central Catholic Fighting Irish in Toledo, Ohio.
"I think about that game all the time," said Burrow.
Yes, a player who has won a National Championship, a Heisman Trophy, and will now play for a Super Bowl still thinks about the one that got away in 2014.
It wasn't for a shortage of offense by Athens in arguably the greatest state championship game ever in the state of Ohio.
Burrow went 26-45 passing for 446 yards and six touchdowns, but fell 56-52.
"Playing with a group of friends our entire childhood up to that point. Kind of a culmination of a lot of hard work and time that we had put in together and we just didn't get the job done," said Burrow. "I still think about that one all time."
Central Catholic head coach Greg Dempsey has won a lot of meaningful games in his career, but he fully understands how Burrow feels.
"I think about losing to Hoban in 2015 more than the other three state championship wins," said Dempsey. "Some of us hate losing more than we like winning. It takes a certain type of competitor. You think about the bad things more than the good things. I get it completely."
"I plan on winning a Super Bowl eventually. We plan on doing it this week. If it's not this week then we plan on doing it eventually," said Burrow. "That state championship in high school is going to be one that eluded me."