Gary Burley
refer to caption
Burley in 2011
No. 67, 73
Position:Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1952-12-08) 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
Sacks:37
Safeties:1
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR

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).

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

  1. 1 2 "Gary Burley Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. ↑ Messenger, Southwest (February 18, 2016). "Super Bowl Honor Roll". Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Corsicana Daily Sun 15 Oct 1971, page Page 9". Newspapers.com. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Pittsburgh Press 19 Sep 1973, page Page 57". Newspapers.com. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ "113124 Football Media Guide 2021 (PDF)" (PDF). pittsburghpanthers.com. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Gary Burley Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ Williams, Roy L. (July 10, 2015). "Gary Burley of Pro Start Academy shares his story at Aldridge Gardens". HooverSun.com. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  8. ↑ Johnson, Roy S. (January 9, 2016). "Ex-Bengal talks Steelers, McCarron, 'Concussion'". al. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Gooden, Ashley (May 12, 2019). "City of Birmingham employee gives new life to former NFL player". WBMA. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ Williams, Roy L. (July 10, 2015). "Gary Burley of Pro Start Academy shares his story at Aldridge Gardens". HooverSun.com. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
  11. ↑ Beahm, Anna (March 6, 2020). "Bobbie Knight named permanent president of Miles College". al. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
  12. 1 2 Times, Birmingham (October 20, 2016). "Cancer survivor Gary Burley: 'Early detection is the key'". Retrieved October 27, 2023.
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