Dunbar’s Man in the Middle

July 18, 2008

Todd Bradley, DCsportsfan.com

Kevin Burgess, a senior middle linebacker and captain of Dunbar’s football team, started as a varsity player

his freshman year, and he hasn’t stopped raising the bar since. As one of the Crimson Tide’s rare four-year

players (only 10 athletes in the past 12 years have achieved this status), Burgess is taking on an important

lead role for the Crimson Tide in the upcoming ’08 season.

Burgess is known for his exceptional tackling ability, football smarts and his disciplined approach.

According to head coach Craig Jeffries, “Kevin is a smart football player. He understands the game and figures out how to get to the ball carrier. Last year in our first game (in Ohio) Kevin had 15 unassisted tackles and 8 assists. That meant he was around the ball ninety percent of the time. For the year, he led the team with 87 solo tackles and 52 assists, for a total of 139 tackles, which averages out at 12.6 tackles per game. Any time you get in double digits for tackles in a game is pretty phenomenal.”

“Last year we had two Division I defensive linemen in Reggie Ellis (Illinois) and Ugo Uzodinma (Virginia). Despite having two guys ahead of him, Burgess still made a lot of tackles and could beat his two teammates to the ball.”

Burgess is disciplined. He understands what the coaches are trying to do, and that helps him out when making plays. Coach Jeffries says, “He prepares himself physically and mentally to make plays. He listens. He is a good student of the game. Kevin will study the tapes and then counter what his opponents are going to try to do. Other kids aren’t as interested in watching a tape and in coming up with a plan, but Kevin thrives on it.”

As middle linebacker and captain, Burgess will be making the calls as if he were the coach on the field. “He’ll be in charge of making adjustments and getting our team in the right position to be successful,” comments Jeffries.

College recruiting is picking up, and Division I schools are definitely attracted to Burgess’s physical play. Illinois has offered him a scholarship, and Eastern Michigan, Syracuse, Michigan State and Maryland are all interested in him. At the Division I level, most people are projecting Kevin as an outside linebacker or safety, which will be a challenge for Burgess. He’ll need to change positions to play in college, but Jeffries doesn’t see this as a major issue.

“I don’t see this as a problem for Kevin. He’s always improving. He’s always there ahead of the game, ahead of where he was last year. He’s a kid who will step up his game and go to the next level, unlike lots of kids who stay the same after a good year or drop back some.”

Even for a top player at a top football school, recruiters want to be positive that a recruit will be successful handling athletic and academic challenges. For Kevin Burgess, self discipline and his drive to achieve put him in a good position, on and off the field.

With Dunbar winning 10 Turkey Bowl championships in the past 12 years, Coach Jeffries projects the Crimson Tide to be in the top 10 in the D.C. area at the beginning and end of the season with Kevin Burgess leading the way.

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