LSU junior quarterback Joe Burrow has been embraced by fans in Baton Rouge, helping guide the Tigers to a 9-3 finish and a Fiesta Bowl berth - the best bowl game the program has landed in since the 2011 National Championship game.

While LSU fans were moving past a loss in the title game, a struggling high school football program in Southeast Ohio was about to begin an unforgettable run that saw the Athens High Bulldogs post a 37-4 record from 2012-2014.

One of the key pieces: Burrow.

LSU fans have likely wondered by Burrow is held in such high regard in his native Athens, Ohio, and a recent “30 for 30” released by Power105’s Lukas Moore and a team of reporters sheds light on those details.

Prior to Burrow taking over as the program’s starting quarterback, Athens High had grown accustomed to “losing season after losing season”, as the documentary noted. Then, the Bulldogs would “see more success than they ever had, and likely ever win.”

As the team’s starting quarterback, Burrow logged 29 regular season wins and just one loss in a three-year span that began in 2012. That year, he finished 185-for-287 passing for 3,002 yards and 45 touchdowns. He added 41 carries for 770 yards and 13 touchdowns, flashing the legs that LSU fans have grown accustomed to seeing this season.

In 2012, the Bulldogs dropped just one regular season game - which would serve as the only regular season loss suffered by Burrow over the next three years. That same year, Burrow and Co. led Athens to the program’s first playoff win in history. That included a win over the 14-0 Shawnee Braves, who had just played for the state title the year prior.

Much of that success came because of the Burrow-led offense, though it wasn’t a path the Ohio native saw coming after suiting up for the Bulldogs as a freshman skill player.

“During the summer I was anticipating being a wide receiver and defensive back,” Burrow said in the documentary. “I stepped in and tried to do the best I could at quarterback.”

One reason for his early success? Family. Burrow credited his father Jimmy Burrow, the defensive coordinator at Ohio University, and his brothers Jamie Burrow and Daniel Burrow, who both played football at Nebraska, as heavy influences early on.

“They all give me great confidence to go D-1,” Burrow said. “That’s what I want to do. They give me great advice.”

Following the 2012 season, the Bulldogs lost their top two wide receivers. No matter, the 2013 Athens High team went a perfect 10-0 during the regular season. Once again, Burrow was red-hot, passing for 3,732 yards and hitting on 71-percent of his throws. He finished the year with 41 touchdowns and seven interceptions, averaging 287 passing yards per game.

Burrow led the team in both passing and rushing during a key win in the regional semifinals of the playoffs, logging all six of the team’s touchdowns during an overtime win. But once again, the Bulldogs fell in the regional final.

By the time Burrow was a senior, Athens High’s losing seasons were a thing of the past. The Bulldogs were rolling, and they never scored less than 34 points in a game. Athens finished the regular season undefeated, yet again. And Burrow and Co. went on to win four postseason games over powerhouse programs in Ohio, all while averaging 48 points per game.

The Bulldogs booked their ticket to the state title game with a perfect 14-0 record. They would suit up on the biggest stage in the state, taking on a 12-2 Toledo Central Catholic team in Ohio Stadium in Columbus, a place Burrow would go on to see often as a quarterback at Ohio State. Burrow passed for 446 yards in the state title game, finishing out the final game of his high school career with six touchdowns. He helped spark a drive to put the Bulldogs ahead 52-49 with under three minutes remaining, but a game-winning drive in the final minutes by Toledo Central Catholic sent the Bulldogs back to Athens without the championship trophy.

That year, Burrow passed for nearly 4,500 yards, 63 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

In three years as the team’s starting quarterback, Burrow led Athens to the program’s first playoff wins - seven in total. In 2014, he was named Ohio’s Mr. Football as a First-Team All-State selection. He was also Ohio’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013. For his high school career, Burrow passed for 11,400 yards with 157 touchdowns, and he added another 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground.

You can watch Burrow and his teammates in action across those three seasons in the documentary below.