Becoming a superstar athlete has opened exclusive doors to Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow.
Fashion shows, celebrity parties, and other similar happenings have become accustomed to Burrow's presence during his time away from football. Vogue World: Paris, the "White Parties" Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin used to host, and most recently showing up for the Met Gala all come to mind.
Cincinnati doesn't normally boast athletes that partake in such gatherings. That Burrow does is not a problem in the slightest, but it does make one wonder something specific about the 28-year Pro Bowler.
Burrow has been very open about his preference for personal privacy. During the NFL season, he's about as locked in as one could be with early bedtimes and not much room for anything outside of ball. He keeps this lifestyle to himself and rarely allows for anyone to sneak a peek.
For a person who comes off borderline introverted, Burrow's tendency to make appearances at high-profile events seems a bit counterintuitive to his personality. Dealing with media is one of his job requirements, and while he handles it well, it's not one of the things he loves about his career.
Burrow was asked about this seemingly paradoxical aspect of his life during his first press conference since posing for the cameras at this month's Met Gala. It turns out Burrow gets the best of both worlds when walking through these doors.
"I would say the media all around the event is a little exhausting, but once you're actually there, it's just very private, and that's hard for me to come by these days," Burrow said. "So the more opportunities that I can try to have a normal dinner party, a normal dinner. . .just around good people, the more opportunities I'm going to take."
It's tough for people as famous as Burrow to experience normalcy without garnering attention. Being at the Met will turn heads, but once it's just the guests, it sounds like it was right up his alley.
Putting up with press for a few minutes for hours of privacy amongst contemporaries and those who know the life is a tradeoff Burrow is willing to make. In the end, his privacy wins out.
Burrow has grown out his shell in the years since becoming a Bengal. Nothing's more evident of that than agreeing to be featured on Netflix's "Quarterback" season two, and he only signed off on it because of his trust in Peyton Manning.
Many doors are open for Burrow to walk through, and now we know he's not compromising what he values dearly in doing so.
