Gary Burley
Gary Steven Burley (born December 8, 1952) is a former American football player who played as a defensive end for the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL).
.jpg.webp) Burley in 2011 | |||||
| No. 67, 73 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position: | Defensive end | ||||
| Personal information | |||||
| Born: | December 8, 1952 Urbancrest, Ohio, U.S. | ||||
| Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||
| Weight: | 272 lb (123 kg) | ||||
| Career information | |||||
| High school: | Grove City (Grove City, Ohio) | ||||
| College: | Pittsburgh | ||||
| NFL Draft: | 1976 / Round: 3 / Pick: 55 | ||||
| Career history | |||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||
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| Player stats at NFL.com · PFR | |||||
He played for the Bengals from 1976 to 1983,[1] and the Atlanta Falcons in 1984.[1]
Early life
Gary Burley graduated from Grove City High School in Grove City, Ohio, near Columbus, in 1971.[2]
College career
After high school, Burley played football in 1971 and 1972 at Wharton County Junior College in Wharton, Texas.[3] Burley was offered a scholarship to the University of Pittsburgh,[4] where he was named a first-team All-American in 1974.[5]
Pro career
Burley was drafted by the Bengals in the third round (55th overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft. He was named to the 1976 NFL All-Rookie Team. He played in Super Bowl XVI in 1982, with the Bengals losing 26–21 to the San Francisco 49ers. In 8 seasons with Cincinnati, he played in 117 games, started 67, including all but 3 games his first 4 seasons.[6]
His 9th and final NFL season was with the Atlanta Falcons, playing 12 games, starting 8.[6]
After football
In 2006, Burley founded the Pro Start Academy, a Birmingham, Alabama-based organization that "mentors young athletes and provides tips on how they can achieve success on and off the football field".[7]
Personal life
Between 2011 and 2015, Burley survived life-threatening ailments including cancer, a bone marrow transplant, the loss of a kidney[8]—after 3 years of dialysis he received a kidney transplant and became an advocate for organ donations[9]—and a bout of salmonella poisoning in his knee that put him in a wheelchair for six months. His wife is Bobbie Knight, a longtime Alabama Power executive and the president of Miles College.[10][11] They reside in Birmingham, Alabama.[12]
He hosts the Gary Burley Charity Golf Tournament at Greystone Country Club to benefit cancer research.[12]
References
- "Gary Burley Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- https://www.columbusmessenger.com/super-bowl-honor-roll.html
- https://www.newspapers.com/image/42632901/?terms=%22gary%20burley%22&match=1
- https://www.newspapers.com/image/147764923/?terms=%22gary%20burley%22&match=1
- https://pittsburghpanthers.com/documents/2021/7/20//113124_Football_Media_Guide_2021.pdf?id=22520
- https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BurlGa20.htm
- Williams, Roy L. (2015-07-10). "Gary Burley of Pro Start Academy shares his story at Aldridge Gardens". HooverSun.com. Retrieved 2020-07-28.
- https://www.al.com/sports/2016/01/ex-bengal_gary_burley_recalls.html
- https://abc3340.com/news/local/city-of-birmingham-employee-gives-new-life-to-former-nfl-player
- https://hooversun.com/news/gary-burley-of-pro-start-academy-shares-testimony-at-aldridg710/
- Beahm, Anna (2020-03-06). "Bobbie Knight named permanent president of Miles College". al. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
- https://www.birminghamtimes.com/2016/10/cancer-survivor-gary-burley-early-detection-is-the-key/