Burrow: Privacy ‘violated in more ways than one’ in home burglary

The Bengals quarterback was more interested in talking football, as the Bengals (5-8) prepare to play the Titans (3-10) on Sunday in Nashville.

“So obviously everybody has heard what has happened,” Burrow said. “I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one, and way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share. So that’s all I got to say about that.”

According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office incident report, the break-in happened at Burrow’s residence in Anderson Township, and reports quickly surfaced that Olivia Ponton, a 22-year-old model and social media influencer, called 911 to report the break-in after arriving at Burrow’s house to find a bedroom ransacked and a window shattered.

Burrow has always been a private individual. Last week, he was deflecting questions about the Batmobile he purchased, which only came to light because one of the “Hard Knocks” microphones picked up a conversation he was having with Tee Higgins at a practice discussing the purchase.

Now more about his personal life is out there than he wasn’t interested in sharing publicly. Burrow said that’s what makes the break-in even more frustrating.

“It’s part of it,” Burrow said. “Yeah, we live a public life, and you know, one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy, and that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career. Still learning, but I understand it’s the life that we choose doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”

Burrow isn’t the only professional athlete dealing with this type of situation, though his might be unique in personal connections being revealed in the aftermath.

Last month, the NFL, NBA and NHL warned teams that organized and skilled groups are targeting the homes of athletes for break-ins, including while the players are away at games. Asked if he is concerned about his safety in light of that, Burrow said he had shared everything he wanted to say.

Compartmentalizing off-field issues and keeping it out of mind when trying to prepare for his job on the field isn’t easy. The Bengals’ quarterback is in the midst of his best season individually but trying to help his team finish the season strong after a 5-8 finish.

“It’s definitely been difficult this week, but for the most part, I’m pretty good at it, considering during the season, you don’t really have a personal life,” Burrow said. “It’s kind of all football. Obviously, things come up that you don’t expect, and when those come up you try to do your best to handle them quickly and be able to move on from it and focus on ball.”