Rebel with a cause

I thought that, in honor of the kickoff of the college season, I would post a story I've had published regarding Quintavius Burdette, a Senatobia High School product who is beginning his freshman career at Ole Miss.

(As published in The Democrat on February 7, 2012)

Rebel with a cause

Burdette signs with Ole Miss, eager to represent his home state

Tate County has long been home to great football, boasting an impressive track record in recent years of sending players on to play major college football.

Just last year, the Mississippi State Bulldogs had three starters with Tate County roots, with Addison and Cameron Lawrence, formerly of Magnolia Heights School, and Quentin Saulsberry, formerly of Independence High School.

Senatobia High School’s Quintavius Burdette is next in line, officially faxing in a National of Letter of Intent to play football for the University of Mississippi.

Each year on National Signing Day, which took place Feb. 1, high school players from across the country have the opportunity to make official their commitments to their future schools by mailing in their LOI’s accepting scholarship offers.

For Burdette, his decision was simple: he wanted to play for Head Coach Hugh Freeze.

“Hugh Freeze has moved places a bit but that is who I wanted to play for anyway,” Burdette said. “He’s from the same town I’m from and he knows how it feels to come from this little town.”

Burdette committed to Freeze while he was the head coach at Arkansas State University. Freeze accepted the head-coaching job at Ole Miss after leading the Red Wolves to a 10-2 record in his first season as head coach.

Patience pays off

Freeze’s change left Burdette in what many would consider to be a difficult position, not knowing whether to seek new options or to hold out hope for a scholarship offer from Freeze at Ole Miss. Burdette, however, was able to keep the situation in perspective.

“I was being very patient. I didn’t just rule them out. I knew that he was going to come through for me and he did,” Burdette said.

That opportunity came during Burdette’s official visit to the Ole Miss campus on the weekend of Jan. 29, when he got word that he had indeed received that scholarship offer. He wasted no time in making his commitment.

In addition to his admiration for Freeze, the chance to stay close to home and represent his home state was impossible to turn down.

“I liked the school and I liked Coach Freeze so when he moved and then he offered me, there was no doubt that I was going to commit to Ole Miss,” Burdette said. “I’m a Mississippi boy. I’ve got to play for my home state.”

Another factor in his decision was the official visit and the chance to get to know his future teammates.

“It was a good feeling because I was down there with the guys that I’m going to be with next year and they really took care of me; not only my host, but all the other players. The upperclassmen really made sure that everyone was good to go and that everyone had what they needed. I liked that a lot,” Burdette said, adding that he’d have no trouble at all blending into the team’s chemistry.

On his official visit, Burdette had the opportunity to stay on campus at The Inn at Ole Miss, and said that he considers it to be one of the most important elements of his visit.

“The campus is great. I loved the campus, especially the hotel we were staying in. I’ve never stayed in a hotel like that in my life and I stayed in that one while on the Ole Miss campus. There are many hotels, but they don’t look as good as that one on campus did,” Burdette said.  “I liked that. The food was great, too.”

A multi-dimensional threat

While it is official that Burdette will attend Ole Miss, the position he will settle into for the Rebels is still up in the air.

“They’re recruiting me as an athlete, but I’ve been talking to the defensive backs coach more than anyone. He was telling me that I’m going to play defense, but that if there are some plays on offense, I could sub in there and also do kick returns and punt returns,” Burdette said.

Burdette did a little bit of everything during his time with the Warriors, having played running back up until his senior season when he moved over to the quarterback position. Burdette also played defense up until his senior season as well.

While many are projecting him to play on defense on the next level, his talents on the offensive side of the ball may be too much to ignore, and running back and wide receiver remain options.

Despite having never played wide receiver for the Warriors, Burdette was invited to participate in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic game in Biloxi as a wide receiver.

Burdette led all receivers in the game with 55 yards receiving, including a 48-yard reception that was the longest offensive play of the game.

Burdette said he shrugged off the notion of the difficulty of learning the new position.

“It was like I always say, I’m not just a running back. I’m a football player. For me to change positions like that, I had to work on it for a couple of weeks beforehand, but after I worked on it, it came like second nature, just like football in general,” Burdette said.

As far as where he ends up playing in college, it’s something that he says he isn’t concerned about.

“It doesn’t matter to me what position I play,” Burdette said, “I just want to play football.”

Senatobia Head Coach Phil Oakley said that Burdette possesses the skill set necessarily to settle in and contribute on the next level.

“He’s got all of the tools and he’s got a lot of potential that he hasn’t reached yet. I know that when he gets over there and gets in the program, he’s going to bulk up. He ran a 4.53 (40-yard dash) electronically timed at Ole Miss. I think that’s going to get better too,” Oakley said.

And, while Oakley can’t say for sure that the results will come right away, he fully expects Burdette to become an impact player for the Rebels.

“He may redshirt the first year or he may play a little bit of special teams, but before it’s over with, he’s going to work hard enough and compete hard enough to play,” Oakley said. “He just loves competing.”

Burdette feels like his strength is his skill with the football, on either side of the ball.

“I feel like being around the ball is my strength. Being around the ball, period,” Burdette said. “Sitting back and watching is not what I do best. I’ve got to be active, so being active is a strength.”

And while he acknowledges that there are areas of his game that he needs to improve on, he believes his work ethic will make for easier improvements.

“All football players have areas to work on. It’s all about whether you put in work and I’m willing to work,” Burdette said.

Looking ahead

For Oakley, Burdette’s biggest strengths are not only physical, but also mental. Burdette has accumulated a 3.8 grade point average and has scored an 18 on the ACT.

“I think his smarts and his speed are his biggest attributes, as well as his leadership ability,” Oakley said. “He’s been a good leader for us, even before he was a senior. He gets his books. He minds his manners. You’re not going to find him roaming the streets at 12:30 or 1 at night. He’s just a good all-around kid. I think Coach Freeze saw that in him. He’s going to be a plus for the program down there.”

Oakley said that it means a lot to see his players go on to the Division I level.

“Guys like this are few and far between. The last one that we had was Jeremy Garrett. This reminds me so much of the Jeremy Garrett situation because he was kind of a last-minute offer,” Oakley said. “It means a lot to me personally. I’m not in this for me, but it means a lot to me to see a young man like Quintavius who has taken care of his business and done what he is supposed to do through the years get rewarded for it.”

Garrett went on to start for the Rebels as a senior and received the 2007 Chucky Mullins Courage Award, received annually by a standout defensive player in honor of the late Chucky Mullins, who was paralyzed during a game against Vanderbilt in 1989.

As for his future, Burdette already has his goals laid out.

“My first goal is to be a Freshman All-American. Everything else would take care of itself after that. I also want to be on the honor roll,” Burdette said. “I’m most looking forward to playing in the SEC and experiencing that feeling.”