When elite athletes compete for the same job it often brings out real disdain, and for Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow that certainly became the case at Ohio State.
"I love Joe but during that battle, for almost two years, me and Joe couldn't stand each other," Haskins said. "Every day, whether it was morning workouts or when we had to do mat drills and it'd be me and him on the mat drill, it was gritty."
Haskins comments came via FOX Sports and they explain the competition between he and Burrow before the 2018 season. Both players were at Ohio State with a chance to take over the Buckeyes potent offense after the departure of J.T. Barrett.
"It was always this heated competition but we knew we got the best out of each other," Haskins said. "He made it hard for me and I made it hard for him and I didn't let him take it away."
Eventually, Haskins won that battle and got to start at Ohio State in 2018. He was great, threw for 50 touchdowns and Washington drafted him 15th overall in 2019.
RELATED: RON RIVERA MIGHT NOT SAY IT OUTRIGHT BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WASHINGTON IS DWAYNE HASKINS' TEAM
Instead of backing up Haskins, Burrow transferred to LSU. The rest is history. He was fine in Baton Rouge in 2018, throwing 16 touchdowns against five interceptions before an absolute offensive explosion in 2019.
Burrow commanded the LSU Tigers to a 15-0 record that included a National Championship and the Heisman Trophy while throwing for 60 TDs against just six INTs. He completed 76 percent of his passes for more than 5,600 yards in a 15-game season. The stats are just stupid and the 2019 LSU team will go down as one of the all-time greatest teams in college football history. Cincinnatti selected Burrow first overall in April and he seems very likely to start for the Bengals in Week 1 this fall.
After the battle in Columbus in 2018, Haskins and Burrow have a friendly relationship now.
"We still talk to this day and I was very proud of him for what he did last year."
Both players used that competition back in 2018 at Ohio State to fuel their careers, and while Burrow has achieved more so far, neither book is close to finished. There's a lot of football left.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TALK PODCAST
Stay connected to the team with the MyTeams app. Click here to download for comprehensive coverage of your teams.
MORE WASHINGTON FOOTBALL NEWS
- Help at WR: Team signs six-year vet
- Before & after: Look at Dwayne now
- Looking good: Update on Alex Smith
Dwayne Haskins and Joe Burrow 'couldn't stand each other' while at Ohio State originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
