Geaux Jeaux: Burrow's hometown fans fly to Baton Rouge to watch star LSU quarterback
BATON ROUGE - It was an unlikely encounter in a Dallas Airport over the weekend as fans and family of star LSU players converged on Baton Rouge for the Tigers' homecoming match-up with Mississippi State.
Among the migrating fans were some longtime supporters of Joe Burrow from the junior QB's hometown in Athens County, Ohio. Fred Gibson, a sports announcer from Burrow's time in high school, and Rick Crossen, Burrow's former middle school baseball coach, were both flying in to see the football star shine.
"It's so much fun," said Crossen, who wore a shirt reading 'Geaux Jeaux Burreaux' as he waited for his flight. "I don't think I've yelled so loud at a TV screen."
Crossen says tons of people in his area, even former rivals, have jumped on the Joe Burrow bandwagon. The hype for Burrow has reached such a fervor that an Ohio department store has even started carrying LSU gear.
"We rooted for him in Ohio State to get on the field, and it didn't work out," Gibson told WBRZ's Malary Pullen, who happened upon the caravan of LSU fans on layover in the airport. "We're really glad he's at LSU now."
On their way to Death Valley, the two also ran into the mother of another LSU star, defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko. She was flying from Hawaii to watch her son play.
Ran into Mama Fehoko and some Joe Burrow fans at DFW. One is a former coach of Joe’s and came from Ohio just to see him play! @WBRZ pic.twitter.com/l06KEG6If0
— Malary Pullen (@MalaryPullenTV) October 20, 2018Trending News
Fehoko and his father have become famous among LSU fans for their blood-pumping pre-game ritual known as the "Haka", a tradition that LSU fans and players alike have been looking to replicate.
"They were all in the locker room trying to get me to [teach them]," Fehoko said after a clip of the chant went viral last week. "They were like, 'Man, come on just teach us real quick!'"
WATCH: You've seen this blood-pumping chant before LSU games... Now hear the story behind Defensive End Breiden Fehoko and the "Haka" https://t.co/goAAaUY9QG pic.twitter.com/qe34qn16A3
— WBRZ News (@WBRZ) October 16, 2018
The Tigers are still flying high after a huge win against #2 Georgia and a convincing homecoming victory over Mississippi State. But LSU's next game is their biggest test of the season, as the first-ranked Crimson Tide comes to Death Valley in prime time.