ATHENS, Ohio — The people of Athens can't get enough of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.
They've already bought more than a thousand Heisman T-shirts and they're not stopping there.
Zonez is selling Christmas ornaments, hats and yard signs honoring the local legend who was raised in The Plains, attended Ohio State on a football scholarship and then transferred to LSU.
"It's the best thing that's ever come out of Athens County," says Ginny Brown of Athens who came to the store to buy T-shirts for her grandchildren.
The store took a calculated risk by buying a Heisman graphic on the Wednesday before the Heisman trophy was announced.
Doing so allowed them to print T-shirts the second Burrow was named the winner so people had shirts in time for Christmas.
Then they put the shirts online.
"Within 30 minutes of launching the online store we had 80 orders," says Dawn Wellspring, Manager of Zonez printing.
To get around copyright laws, manager Dawn Wellspring says they needed to spell Burrow with the fake French/Cajun spelling (Burreaux) — and the image of Joe isn't Joe, but a cut out of a football player.
Even spelling Burrow had to change by replacing the "O" in his last name with the Border of Ohio.
Excited doesn't even come close to describe how proud this area is of their native son.
"He's made kids from here believe in themselves that they can become somebody special," says Wellspring.
So far, the store has shipped Joe gear to 13 states.
"One will go out to a Japan (customer) who is marine who is stationed there," says Wellspring.
The pride of Athens is giving people here something to be proud of and his legend would only grow if he can lead the LSU Tigers over Clemson in the National Championship game on Jan. 13.
"He plays for very cool, very calm, and I don't think a lot of people know that about him if you saw him play in high school you'd know that about him he handles the pressure very well and I know he'll handle this game very much the same way, and i think we'll see him bring home a championship," says Wellspring.
