Heisman Trophy Winner and LSU alum Joe Burrow announced Thursday the creation of The Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO). 

According to The New York Times, as Burrow emerged from the lockdown imposed by the spread of novel coronavirus, he was not only ready to train to take his place on the Cincinnati Bengals but prepared to roll up his sleeves in the fight against poverty in Ohio and beyond. 

This inspired the creation of The Joe Burrow Hunger Relief Fund at the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.

Burrow said the problems of hunger and poverty have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. 

"There’s a lot of people who are struggling right now without jobs, the economy is starting to open back up but people are still struggling now from the time it was closed," said Burrow. "The faster we get this off the ground, the more people it can help.

While fighting poverty, Burrow is also facing the challenge of acclimating to a new team and high expectations. 

The Bengals, who finished 2019 with a 2-14 record, are looking to Burrow for a hefty morale boost. In his final year at LSU, Burrow led the country in passing yards (5,671) and completion percentage (76.3). He also set an NCAA record with 60 touchdown passes in 15 starts, en route to the National Championship.

But the lockdown has diminished opportunities for practice snaps, known in football as "live reps." This makes it harder for a rookie quarterback like Burrow, who has to get used to a new set of receivers and lead an offense against sophisticated NFL defensive schemes.

"I just have to be quicker in my decision-making, my release, my footwork. So it’s just all about speeding everything up," said Burrow. "That’s part of the live reps that you’re missing because you know what you’re working on that you struggled with in your last season but you don’t have the live reps in an NFL camp."

Even though the pandemic has shifted schedules for other professional sports, the NFL training camp is expected to open July 28 with plans to kick off the season as scheduled Sept. 10.

Click here for more on Burrow's new foundation.