Keith Burns (American football player)

Last updated
Keith Burns
Los Angeles Chargers
Position: Special Teams Coordinator
Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1972-05-16) May 16, 1972 (age 46)
Greeleyville, South Carolina
Career information
High school: Alexandria (VA) Williams
College: Oklahoma State
NFL Draft: 1994  / Round: 7 / Pick: 210
Career history
As player:
As coach:
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks: 1.5
Forced Fumbles: 4
Interceptions: 1
Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR

Keith Bernard Burns (born May 16, 1972) is an American football coach and former professional linebacker and special teams player. He was formerly the Special Teams coordinator for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. [1]

Linebacker defensive position in American football

A linebacker is a playing position in American football and Canadian football. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen, and therefore "back up the line". Linebackers generally align themselves before the ball is snapped by standing upright in a "two-point stance".

Washington Redskins American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area

The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Redskins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays its home games at FedExField in Landover, Maryland; its headquarters and training facility are at Inova Sports Performance Center at Redskins Park in Ashburn, Virginia and the Redskins Complex in Richmond, Virginia, respectively.

National Football League Professional American football league

The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world. The NFL's 17-week regular season runs from early September to late December, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, which is usually held in the first Sunday in February, and is played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

Contents

Early life and high school

Burns was born in Greeleyville, South Carolina. He was raised by his mother, Tracy, in Alexandria, Virginia as the youngest of four children. [2] He was a 1990 graduate of T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, where he won three varsity letters in football, two in basketball, and one in baseball. [3]

Greeleyville, South Carolina Town in South Carolina, United States

Greeleyville is a town in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 375 at the 2009 census.

Alexandria, Virginia Independent city in Virginia, United States

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 139,966, and in 2016, the population was estimated to be 155,810. Located along the western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately 7 miles (11 km) south of downtown Washington, D.C.

T. C. Williams High School

T. C. Williams High School is a public high school in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. The school has an enrollment of about 3,800 students.

College

Burns lettered in football at Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas where he garnered first team JuCo All-America honors, and finished his sophomore season with six sacks, three interceptions, and 192 tackles.[ citation needed ]

Navarro College

Navarro College is a public community college in Texas with its main campus Corsicana and branches in Fairfield, Mexia, Midlothian, and Waxahachie. The college currently features annual student enrollment of more than 9,000 students.

Corsicana, Texas City in Texas, United States

Corsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45, some 58 mi south of downtown Dallas. The population was 23,770 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Navarro County.

A junior college is a post-secondary educational institution designed to prepare students for either skilled trades or for additional education at another college with more advanced academic material. Students typically attend junior colleges for 1–3 years.

Burns then transferred to Oklahoma State for the 1992-1993 season and immediately made an impact with 126 tackles (102 solo), 5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. [4] He was voted captain of the team after just four games and was named the Big Eight Conference's Defensive Newcomer of the Year. [5] Entering his final year at Oklahoma State, he made several pre-season All-America teams and was ranked the No. 1 inside linebacker by The Sporting News. [6] He was named to the conference's All-Big Eight team both of his years there. [7]

Playing career

The Denver Broncos drafted Burns in the 7th round (#210 overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft. A Bronco for most of his thirteen-year career, Burns saw playing time as a reserve linebacker and a prominent special teams player. He spent the 1999 season with Chicago Bears, and the 2004 season with Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He won two Super Bowls with the Broncos. For his entire NFL career, Burns played 197 games (3 starts) and totaled 231 special-teams tackles. He also posted 77 career defensive stops (50 solo), 1.5 sacks (9 yds.), one interception (15 yds.), three pass breakups and one forced fumble. [8]

Denver Broncos National Football League franchise in Denver, Colorado

The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver, Colorado. The Broncos compete as a member club of the National Football League (NFL)'s American Football Conference (AFC) West division. They began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) and joined the NFL as part of the merger in 1970. The Broncos are owned by the Pat Bowlen trust and currently play home games at Broncos Stadium at Mile High. Prior to that, they played at Mile High Stadium from 1960 to 2000.

1994 NFL Draft

The 1994 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1994, at the Marriot Marquis in New York City, New York. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and before the regular season. This was the first draft in which the rounds were reduced to seven in total.

The 1999 Chicago Bears season was their 80th regular season completed in the National Football League (NFL). On January 24, Dick Jauron was named head coach. The club posted a 6–10 record under Jauron, who replaced Dave Wannstedt.

Coaching career

On March 27, 2007, the Broncos announced Burns would retire as Special Teams Captain and assume the role of instructing the special teams. He was given the title of Assistant Special Teams Coach in 2011.

Burns was hired by the Washington Redskins to be their Special Teams Coordinator on February 11, 2013. [3] In moving to Washington, he rejoined Mike Shanahan who was his coach in Denver and who also gave Burns his first coaching job. In his first coaching position Keith Burns' Special Teams unit struggled during 2013 season. According to Football Outsiders, under Burns' leadership, the Washington Redskins' Special Teams unit finished the 2013 regular season ranked last in points compared to league average. [9] After less than a year in the position, Keith Burns was dismissed by the Washington Redskins on December 30, 2013 along with Mike Shanahan. [10]

Mike Shanahan American football coach

Michael Edward Shanahan is an American football coach, who was the head coach for the Los Angeles Raiders, Denver Broncos, and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) for a total of 20 seasons. During his 14 seasons with the Broncos, he led the team to consecutive Super Bowl victories in XXXII and XXXIII, which were the franchise's first two NFL titles.

The 2013 Washington Redskins season was the franchise's 82nd season in the National Football League. The Redskins failed to improve on their 10–6 regular season record from 2012, and suffered through a 3–13 season, which was the worst record that the team had posted since 1994, resulting in the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan and most of his staff after four seasons.

Football Outsiders (FO) is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.

Personal life

Burns met his wife, Michelle, at college. They have three children together. His oldest daughter, Danielle is a star for the women's basketball team at Fordham University, wearing number 22. Danielle earned her masters in just four years, having graduated in three years. His other daughter Rachel is currently a member of Charleston Southern. His son Keith is still in High School. In Keith Burns' off time, he has performed stand-up comedy routines around the country. [2]

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