Billy Cannon. Pete Maravich. Shaquille O'Neal. Seimone Augustus. Patrick Peterson. Odell Beckham, Jr.
Louisiana State University is loaded with athletes from every generation who transcended their sport and lifted the LSU Tigers to greater heights. College athletes are flashes in the pan, leaving their school almost as fast as they arrived. Some win individual trophies, others capture national championships, but even fewer create a legacy that lasts forever.
Count LSU Tigers quarterback Joe Burrow among the greatest athletes to ever step foot in Baton Rouge because his legacy is sure to last a lifetime.
He's the second Heisman Trophy winner in school history, plus he did it with the largest margin of victory ever. The LSU football record book might as well be renamed "The Joe Burrow Book of Accomplishments and Other Cool Shit" after the near-perfect season he put together in 2019. If the former Ohio State Buckeyes transfer and pride of Athens High School goes on to win the College Football Playoff National Championship Game, he's going to cement his place in the conversation among, not only LSU athletics, but the greatest college football players ever.
RELATED: 15 Memorable (And Forgettable) People Who Attended LSU
Burrow never really sat in an LSU classroom (Could you imagine how little work would get done?), but that didn't stop him from earning his Master's degree and graduating prior to LSU football's Peach Bowl showdown against the Oklahoma Sooners.
When Burrow's name was called among the LSU graduates, and he walked across the stage during Winter Commencement in Baton Rouge, the entire place erupted with many giving the star quarterback a standing ovation.
Joe Burrow's Graduation from LSU
What Did Joe Burrow Graduate In?
In May 2018, Burrow graduated from Ohio State with a Bachelor's degree in consumer and family financial services before heading to LSU. The graduate transfer earned his Master's degree in liberal arts alongside 12 other LSU football players in December 2019.
Long snapper Blake Ferguson (Master's in business administration), center Lloyd Cushenberry III (sports administration), cornerback Kristian Fulton (sports administration), Rashard Lawrence (sports administration), placekicker Connor Culp (general business), wide receiver Derrick Dillon (interdisciplinary studies), linebacker Michael Divinity (interdisciplinary studies), offensive guard Adrian Magee (interdisciplinary studies), outside linebacker Ray Thornton (interdisciplinary studies), offensive tackle Badara Traore (interdisciplinary studies), punter Zach Von Rosenberg (interdisciplinary studies) and wide receiver Dee Anderson (interdisciplinary studies) all earned degrees alongside the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year and First-Team All-American.
If the likely No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft doesn't have a prolific pro career, he'll be just fine with two college degrees in hand.
Head coach Ed Orgeron and the SEC champions take on Lincoln Riley, Jalen Hurts and the Sooners on December 28 in Atlanta, Georgia. Clemson takes on Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl game that same day, with the winners of those semifinal games playing for college football's national championship trophy.