North Carolina State University Athletics
Burnette to Miss Massachusetts Game
9/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 22, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.--Dantonio Burnette wasn't about to stay on the sidelines on Saturday, not even after breaking his thumb on NC State's first defensive series of the game. Not only did the senior middle linebacker play through the pain for the entire game at Texas Tech, he even saw action as a fullback on one offensive play, paving the way for T.A. McLendon to score a third quarter touchdown. But Burnette will now be forced to sit out at least one game after undergoing surgery this week to have two screws placed in his fractured thumb.
For now, Burnette will be forced to miss next Saturday's home game against Massachusetts. The ensuing bye week should give him a chance to be back by the time NC State travels to North Carolina on October 12.
"He'll play against North Carolina, even if he has to cut that thumb off," Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato said on Sunday.
Burnette's toughness certainly showed on Saturday. After sustaining the injury early in the first quarter, he raced to the locker room, where team doctors layered the thumb with extra padding. He then returned to play virtually the entire game.
"He's a tough kid with a lot of heart and a great deal of love for that football team," Amato said. "He's such an inspiration. Not a lot of people would have done that."
When asked if he would be interested in playing fullback in short yardage situations during practice last week, Burnette jumped at the opportunity. According to Amato, the Georgia native said, "I'll go in there and knock someone on their fanny."
A Golden Dilemma:Over the next few days, Amato and his staff will be trying to clarify Greg Golden's role with the Wolfpack. After being moved from cornerback to tailback during the preseason, the speedy sophomore was a starter at tailback in NC State's first four games. But with the exception of just a few cameo appearances on offense, he spent all of his time at cornerback against Texas Tech's spread formations.
"We're going to discuss that," Amato said. "Greg can do both of those. With us using extra defensive backs against Texas Tech, we felt like he would be more valuable to us on defense in that game."
Freshman tailback T.A. McLendon's 150-yard, five-touchdown performance against the Red Raiders will certainly figure into the equation. The move of Golden from defense to offense was intended to add depth to the tailback position while also allowing McLendon the luxury of adapting to his surroundings at a more moderate pace. Anyone who saw the Albemarle rookie's scintillating performance on Saturday would probably agree that he's becoming very confident in his ability to compete on the Division one level. McLendon's five-touchdown outburst equaled the school record set by Stan Fritts in 1972.
Number 17 in AP:After moving up one spot to 15th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll on Sunday morning, NC State stayed put at No. 17 in the AP Poll released later in the day.
