Willie Burden
| No. 10 | |
| Born: | July 21, 1951 William G. Enloe (NC) |
|---|---|
| NFL draft | 1974, Round: 6, Pick: 139 |
| Drafted by | Detroit Lions |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1974 | Detroit Lions* |
| 1974–1981 | Calgary Stampeders |
| *Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| CFL All-Star | 1975 |
| CFL West All-Star | 1975, 1977 |
| Career stats | |
Willie Burden (July 21, 1951 – December 4, 2015) was a professional
Early years
Following an outstanding
As sophomore in 1971, he led the team with 227 carries for 910 yards (4.0-yard avg.) and 8 rushing touchdowns. He set the school's single-game record with 198 rushing yards against Kent State University.
In 1972, when Lou Holtz arrived as the new head coach at North Carolina State University, he implemented split-back veer offense to take advantage of the talent at running back, that included Burden, Young, Stan Fritts and Roland Hooks.[2] At the time, this was arguably the best group of running backs in the nation, they were known as "The Four Stallions" and everyone of them went on to play in a professional football league.[3][4] He was third on the team behind Fritts and Young with 114 carries for 605 yards (5.3-yard avg.) and 6 rushing touchdowns.
In 1973, he was part of the Atlantic Coast Conference championship team as the starting halfback. He led the team with 150 carries for 1,014 yards (6.8-yard avg.) and 8 rushing touchdowns. He became the first player in school history to break the 1,000 yard rushing mark in a single-season. He also received All-ACC and Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player of the Year honors.
He rushed for 2,529 yards, 7th best in
Professional career
Detroit Lions
Burden was selected by the
Calgary Stampeders
On September 17, 1974, he signed as a free agent with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
The Stampeders would be Burden's home for eight seasons, between 1974 and 1981. He thrilled fans in his first season, rushing for 541 yards on 94 carries, but it was in his second season that he broke team and league records. He set a new
In 1978, James Sykes was named the starter at running back for the Stampeders, while Burden was used more as a blocking fullback and as a receiver out of the backfield. His statistics began to decline after that season.[6] In 1981, injuries limited him to play in only 8 games, registering 23 carries for 95 yards (4.1-yard avg.), 22 receptions for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns. He announced his retirement in June 1982.
Upon his retirement, Burden finished with 6,234 rushing yards, fifth best in Stampeders history after Kelvin Anderson, Earl Lunsford, Lovell Coleman and Joffrey Reynolds. He also recorded 1,242 carries, a 5.0 rushing average, 32 rushing touchdowns, 299 receptions (fourth in team history) for 2,669 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns.
His jersey number #10 was retired by the Stamps in 1982. He was added to their Wall of Fame in 1992, was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001 and was chosen as one of the league's 50 greatest stars. He played at 5 foot 10 inches and a bruising 218 pounds and is remembered fondly in Canada.
Career statistics
| Year | Team | GP | Rush | Yards | Y/R | Lg | TD |
| 1974 | Calgary Stampeders | 6 | 94 | 541 | 5.8 | 71 | 3 |
| 1975 | Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 332 | 1896 | 5.7 | 40 | 10 |
| 1976 | Calgary Stampeders | 13 | 181 | 962 | 5.3 | 35 | 7 |
| 1977 | Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 220 | 1032 | 4.7 | 47 | 3 |
| 1978 | Calgary Stampeders | 15 | 160 | 627 | 3.9 | 23 | 2 |
| 1979 | Calgary Stampeders | 13 | 145 | 658 | 4.5 | 19 | 5 |
| 1980 | Calgary Stampeders | 16 | 87 | 423 | 4.9 | 23 | 2 |
| 1981 | Calgary Stampeders | 8 | 23 | 95 | 4.1 | 28 | 0 |
| CFL Totals | 103 | 1,242 | 6,234 | 5.0 | 71 | 32 |
Personal life
Burden's post-pro football life was equally successful. He received his
Later he was an Associate Professor in Sports Management at Georgia Southern University. His research has been published in several academic journals. In 2005 Burden received another special honour, being inducted into Hall of Fame for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America of Raleigh, North Carolina, for his lifetime of good works.
Burden suffered from congestive heart failure for several years. On September 2, 2015, it was reported in the Calgary Herald that Burden had been hospitalized in Atlanta for 209 days with a heart condition, awaiting a transplant.[7] He died in Atlanta on December 4, 2015, at the age of 64.[8] At the time of his death, Burden resided in Statesboro, Georgia, with his wife, Velma, and children Willie Jr. and Freddie. He also had a daughter, Courtney Bledsoe, who resides in North Carolina.
References
- ^ "TSN Top 50 Honour Roll". TSN.ca. 2006-11-28. Retrieved 2007-07-02.
- ^ "Holtz Selects Starting Backfield For WolfPack". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ "Offensive fireworks due at Liberty Bowl". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ "WolfPack Gridders Get Their Shot At Winning". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ Sheets eclipses Burdens Five Game Rushing Record
- ^ "The last hurrah for a ghost of autumn past". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ "Johnson: Stampeders great Willie Burden in Atlanta hospital awaiting heart transplant". Retrieved April 30, 2019.
- ^ Former NC State football star Willie Burden dies at 64 Archived 2015-12-20 at the Wayback Machine