The NFL season is almost here is a little more than 24 hours away: Kansas City opens the season at New England on September 7th in a tough first test for two teams with Super Bowl potential.
One new addition to the Patriots high caliber offense is running back Rex Burkhead, the fifth year veteran formerly with the Cincinnati Bengals. Burkhead’s roots lay in Texas, hailing from Plano Senior High School, he rushed for 1.762 yards his junior year and led Plano Senior to the state semi-finals that same year.
He went on to play at the University of Nebraska, his best season again being his junior year, where he rushed for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns. He went on to be drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
Burkhead’s performance with the Bengals was limited, but when he played he showed shiftiness and speed leaving many Bengals fans confused into why he never got more playing time. In a constantly changing Bengals backfield, Burkhead was the man always there, but never saw the field as much as some hoped fore.
Outside of football, Burkhead represents a true Texan through his community service. He set up this heartwarming moment in the 2013 Nebraska Spring Game.
Burkhead forged a relationship with Jack Hoffman back in 2011, Hoffman was a cancer patient in Nebraska, who looked up to the running back. Burkhead went on to orchestrate an opportunity for Hoffman to run with Nebraska in the 2013 Spring Game, and started the Team Jack foundation. Yearly, Burkhead and the organization host a charity Gala attended by many former Nebraska stars and NFL players.
This past offseason, he was a highly sought-after free agent and is now a Patriot. Look for him to be a weapon this season as both a rusher and pass-catcher. He’s been ranked on multiple sites as a dark horse fantasy weapon and could be in line for a breakout year.
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