Burgess speaks to Enterprise quarterback club

Former Jacksonville State University football coach Bill Burgess gave a few tips on being successful in football when he spoke to the Enterprise quarterback club on Friday.

Burgess, who will be inducted into the Division II Football Hall of Fame later this year, said it’s important for coaches to find something the athlete can be successful in doing. He also added that it’s OK to let the player think he is faster than he actually is.

“Football is the only sport that I’ve ever known of where I’ve always got a chance,” Burgess said. “You can be better than me, but on a given night, I can beat you. You can’t do that in anything else. Football is the only sport we’ve where it’s legal to make contact. And the schools that make contact, they win. If I play you and you’re a little better than me, but I get them helmets on you a pretty good bit, then I can beat you. To me that is the greatest thing about the game.

“There may be a kid who thinks he runs a 4.4 (40-yard dash, but is actually slower), but he’ll make contact. We’re going to go with that rascal that’ll make contact because he’ll beat that 4.4 guy sooner or later who won’t make contact. You can find them in your high school the same way. It’s not always the biggest, the fastest guy you’ve got out there.”

Burgess related a story of an athlete who said he’d always run a 4.4-second 40-yard dash, when in actuality he ran it in close to 5 seconds. But when he was timed the coach would call out a faster time than what was actually on the stopwatch.

“What difference does it make? He’s yours. You’re going to play him,” Burgess said. “In high school you’re going to play with him, so you better make him feel good.”

He also talked about linemen running 40-yard sprints.

“When is an offensive lineman going to run 40 yards? If they get downfield that far they’re going to hit somebody in the back and get you in all kinds of trouble,” he said.

“You take what you’ve got and let them play. If you can find a way for them to be successful at something I guarantee that on Friday in high school, Saturday in college, they’ll line up and play. They’ll play hard and they’ll get the job done.”

Burgess credited his success in football to having good players and good assistant coaches.

“If you hire outstanding assistant coaches, if you recruit young men that fit what you do, and if you’re smart enough to let those assistant coaches coach and those players play, you will have all kinds of good things happen,” Burgess said.

The Enterprise Wildcats host Northview tonight in the region opener for both teams. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. from Wildcat Stadium.