North Carolina State University Athletics
Program Spotlight: Leroy Burgess
10/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Patrick Norris, NC State Media Relations
For Leroy Burgess, football was a mere afterthought. He grew up in South Carolina wanting to play basketball, and idolizing players like Allen Iverson.
One day, when Burgess was in the fourth grade, his mother Joyce got tired of young Leroy wasting his days around the house. Worried that her son would get into trouble or simply waste away his brain in front of the TV, she decided to make a decision for a her son. That decision is still paying off for Burgess to this day.
"I got tossed into football," Burgess said. "My mom didn't want me to just sit around the house and do nothing, so she made me go out for football. It was another one of those fate things and mom's intuition. She must have known football would be a good fit."
For a kid who played basketball non-stop and had lofty hoop dreams, Burgess wasn't sure what to make of Joyce's idea for her son.
"Initially I was puzzled, because back then I wanted to be a basketball player," Burgess said. "I was kind of on the short side, so it just worked out."
He might have been on the short side then, but the now 6-1, 300-pound defensive tackle is anything but diminutive.
Burgess didn't know it at the time, but he would eventually get his degree and play major college football, eventually proving that, as the cliché says, "mother knows best."
His road to signing and starting for a Wolfpack defensive line that produced three 2006 NFL first-round picks in Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo was far from a straight and easy path.
Burgess didn't want to play football anymore by the time he got to high school, but after shuffling positions on the field, he was finally in a situation where his natural talent began to shine through.
"I didn't really want to play football my freshman year," Burgess said "I played offensive line and some tight end. I stuck with it and in my junior year they finally settled on defensive line and it just clicked.
"I felt like I was at home."
He would continue to face road blocks to his football career, however, even as he improved and became a force in high school, recording 108 tackles and 15 sacks as a senior at Ridgeview High School in Columbia, S.C.
His performance on the field attracted college football programs, but his performance in the classroom deterred most of those same recruiters.
"I didn't get a ton of contacts because of my grade situation and that hurt me," Burgess said. "My [high school] coaches told me about Georgia Military College and that they were interested in me so I took a trip down there. That's where it all started."
Call it a second chance, or call it an awakening, but Burgess is grateful for his time at Georgia Military and how it helped him become who he is and be where he is today.
"At first it was a culture shock for me because I'm used to going where I want, when I want to," Burgess said. "And now, at Georgia Military, I'm taking orders, and at the end of the day, looking back on it, it was a great experience and something I needed ... that discipline."
NC State assistant coach Andy McCollum spotted Burgess at Georgia Military and quickly made a strong impression on Burgess.
"I met coach McCollum in the middle of the season and he introduced himself," Burgess said. "I didn't think much of it or if they were going to offer me. I came in and met the coaches and it wasn't that hard of a decision. Once I saw how we [NC State] did things it was almost like fate, like it was meant to be."
His numbers at Georgia Military College were impressive, including this stat line in his final season while playing defensive end: 24 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, five quarterback knockdowns, seven quarterback pressures, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Burgess remembers thinking that it would be an honor to help continue the tradition of being a talented defensive lineman for the Wolfpack, a lineage that also included recent NFL draft picks DeMario Pressley and Tank Tyler in addition to the three first-round picks from 2006.
"At first, when he [McCollum] called me, I was excited because I had heard about the lineman and seeing those guys at the combine and on draft day," Burgess said. "It was an honor that they wanted me to come and be part of that defensive line."
Since arrive at NC State with two years of eligibility, Burgess has been a fixture along the defensive line. He started three games as a junior in 2008, playing in every contest for 390 snaps.
Burgess has also started every game on the defensive line so far as a senior through the first five games. He leads the squad with three fumble recoveries on the season, and he pulled down his first career interception at Wake Forest bringing it back 40 yards too.
You might automatically assume that Burgess has aspirations to continue the tradition even farther and get drafted into the NFL, but his thoughts on the subject may surprise you.
"Everybody wants to play in the NFL, but its tough to make it to the league," Burgess said. "You have to be one of the elite. I'm working towards that and hoping that it works out, but if it doesn't, then I have my sociology degree to fall back on."
Burgess already has a plan if football doesn't work out. After growing up in a family full of cooks, he has aspirations to get into the food service industry.
"I want to run my own restaurant one day," Burgess said. "I'm a big guy and I love food. I'd like to do Italian food or something laid back with cheeseburgers and American food."
For now, Burgess gets his food fix by watching the Food Network regularly.
"I watch all of those cooking shows, and I've watched my mother, grandmother and even great grandmother cook for years," Burgess said.
Would his favorite meal make chef Gordon Ramsey proud?
"Macaroni and candied yams," Burgess said without hesitation.
Before he opens his restaurant and gets his degree, Burgess will focus on eating up ball carriers for the Wolfpack in his final season.
For Leroy Burgess, football was a mere afterthought. He grew up in South Carolina wanting to play basketball, and idolizing players like Allen Iverson.
One day, when Burgess was in the fourth grade, his mother Joyce got tired of young Leroy wasting his days around the house. Worried that her son would get into trouble or simply waste away his brain in front of the TV, she decided to make a decision for a her son. That decision is still paying off for Burgess to this day.
"I got tossed into football," Burgess said. "My mom didn't want me to just sit around the house and do nothing, so she made me go out for football. It was another one of those fate things and mom's intuition. She must have known football would be a good fit."
For a kid who played basketball non-stop and had lofty hoop dreams, Burgess wasn't sure what to make of Joyce's idea for her son.
"Initially I was puzzled, because back then I wanted to be a basketball player," Burgess said. "I was kind of on the short side, so it just worked out."
He might have been on the short side then, but the now 6-1, 300-pound defensive tackle is anything but diminutive.
Burgess didn't know it at the time, but he would eventually get his degree and play major college football, eventually proving that, as the cliché says, "mother knows best."
His road to signing and starting for a Wolfpack defensive line that produced three 2006 NFL first-round picks in Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo was far from a straight and easy path.
Burgess didn't want to play football anymore by the time he got to high school, but after shuffling positions on the field, he was finally in a situation where his natural talent began to shine through.
"I didn't really want to play football my freshman year," Burgess said "I played offensive line and some tight end. I stuck with it and in my junior year they finally settled on defensive line and it just clicked.
"I felt like I was at home."
He would continue to face road blocks to his football career, however, even as he improved and became a force in high school, recording 108 tackles and 15 sacks as a senior at Ridgeview High School in Columbia, S.C.
His performance on the field attracted college football programs, but his performance in the classroom deterred most of those same recruiters.
"I didn't get a ton of contacts because of my grade situation and that hurt me," Burgess said. "My [high school] coaches told me about Georgia Military College and that they were interested in me so I took a trip down there. That's where it all started."
Call it a second chance, or call it an awakening, but Burgess is grateful for his time at Georgia Military and how it helped him become who he is and be where he is today.
"At first it was a culture shock for me because I'm used to going where I want, when I want to," Burgess said. "And now, at Georgia Military, I'm taking orders, and at the end of the day, looking back on it, it was a great experience and something I needed ... that discipline."
NC State assistant coach Andy McCollum spotted Burgess at Georgia Military and quickly made a strong impression on Burgess.
"I met coach McCollum in the middle of the season and he introduced himself," Burgess said. "I didn't think much of it or if they were going to offer me. I came in and met the coaches and it wasn't that hard of a decision. Once I saw how we [NC State] did things it was almost like fate, like it was meant to be."
His numbers at Georgia Military College were impressive, including this stat line in his final season while playing defensive end: 24 tackles, 6.5 tackles-for-loss, 5.5 sacks, five quarterback knockdowns, seven quarterback pressures, two pass breakups, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Burgess remembers thinking that it would be an honor to help continue the tradition of being a talented defensive lineman for the Wolfpack, a lineage that also included recent NFL draft picks DeMario Pressley and Tank Tyler in addition to the three first-round picks from 2006.
"At first, when he [McCollum] called me, I was excited because I had heard about the lineman and seeing those guys at the combine and on draft day," Burgess said. "It was an honor that they wanted me to come and be part of that defensive line."
Since arrive at NC State with two years of eligibility, Burgess has been a fixture along the defensive line. He started three games as a junior in 2008, playing in every contest for 390 snaps.
Burgess has also started every game on the defensive line so far as a senior through the first five games. He leads the squad with three fumble recoveries on the season, and he pulled down his first career interception at Wake Forest bringing it back 40 yards too.
You might automatically assume that Burgess has aspirations to continue the tradition even farther and get drafted into the NFL, but his thoughts on the subject may surprise you.
"Everybody wants to play in the NFL, but its tough to make it to the league," Burgess said. "You have to be one of the elite. I'm working towards that and hoping that it works out, but if it doesn't, then I have my sociology degree to fall back on."
Burgess already has a plan if football doesn't work out. After growing up in a family full of cooks, he has aspirations to get into the food service industry.
"I want to run my own restaurant one day," Burgess said. "I'm a big guy and I love food. I'd like to do Italian food or something laid back with cheeseburgers and American food."
For now, Burgess gets his food fix by watching the Food Network regularly.
"I watch all of those cooking shows, and I've watched my mother, grandmother and even great grandmother cook for years," Burgess said.
Would his favorite meal make chef Gordon Ramsey proud?
"Macaroni and candied yams," Burgess said without hesitation.
Before he opens his restaurant and gets his degree, Burgess will focus on eating up ball carriers for the Wolfpack in his final season.
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