Long Valley's Burton Ready to 'Let It Loose' at NFL Scouting Combine

Despite the on-field successes over the past decade, Mike Burton has seen his fair share of adversity. And it’s because of that the Long Valley native is fully prepared for the biggest weekend of his athletic career.

In high school, it was a broken ankle during his junior year. No matter, as the bruising running back led his West Morris Central Wolfpack teammates to a state championship as a senior in 2009 – the school’s first in half a decade.

Then it was the decision to walk on to the Scarlet Knights football team at Division I Rutgers University, rather than take offers from Division II and Division III schools. But he proved himself there, earning so much of his teammates’ respect before the 2014 season – the school’s first in the Big 10 Conference – he was named one of five captains as the squad’s fullback.

So when Burton got the call two weeks ago that he’d earned an invitation to the National Football League’s Scouting Combine, a pre-cursor and measuring stick for draft-eligible players, the excitement was amazing, but fleeting at the same time.

“If it happened, it happened,” Burton told Patch recently. “I’m very blessed to be able to attend such a prestigious event, but it hasn’t changed my work ethic. I’m just super excited about the opportunity.”

Burton said he went back to the Rutgers University campus to speak with offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen and was congratulated by head coach Kyle Flood. He’s been taking advice from RU alum and current New Orleans Saints running back Brian Leonard.

Burton’s entry into the combine is as unique as his path to get there. While he’ll be measured alongside the nation’s best college running backs, Burton is just one of two fullbacks invited to the event.

Just three fullbacks were drafted by NFL teams in each of the last three seasons, with five being drafted in 2011. Not a single one of those players was drafted higher than the fourth round, according to espn.com.

Only one fullback was invited to the combine in 2014 – Oklahoma’s Trey Millard, who was drafted in the seventh round by San Francisco, according to espn.com.

But that pressure is being turned into motivation.

“I’m a very competitive guy,” he said. “I’ve been practicing running back drills throughout my career, and I know I can handle the catching, bag drills and so on. It won’t be new to me. I think [taking drills] alongside those guys will just be more motivation.”

Burton’s been spending his days practicing at Parabolic in Little Falls, harping on technique and explosiveness, focusing on combine-specific events.

The Jersey kid who played his college ball at a New Jersey school is putting his business interests in a New Jersey-based company, partnering with Pat Capra and Lunar Sports Group to be his agent as he focuses on landing a spot in the NFL.

The company represents the aforementioned Leonard as well as the McCourty twins, Jason and Devin, both Rutgers alumni and now NFL cornerbacks.

Burton will fly out to Indianapolis, Indiana for the combine on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The running back drills will be coupled with quarterbacks and wide receivers on Saturday, Feb. 21. A majority of the combine’s events are televised live on NFL Network, which currently shows its schedule of a live telecast of the day’s events from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If nerves are settling in for Burton, he’s certainly not showing it.

“I’m amped up,” he said from his Long Valley home. “I’m ready to let it all loose.”

Pictured: Mike Burton. Photo Courtesy Mike Burton.

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