Julian Burnett needed his high school coach's help to draw recruiting attention. A few years later, the Georgia Tech linebacker was impossible to miss.
Burnett, the classic case of an undersized player who compensates with passion and hard work, appears to have played his last due to a neck injury suffered in the Sun Bowl.
"I'm sure it's really tough on him," said coach Paul Johnson, who disclosed the news following Tech's first spring practice session Monday. "He loves football, he's a heck of a competitor and a great football player, but there's bigger things in life than football, and you've got to be safe."
Johnson declined to call the linebacker's career over, saying that Burnett himself would have to make that declaration. He did say that Burnett will go on medical scholarship, meaning that he will receive a grant from the school but will be ineligible to play in the coming season.
One of the strongest players on the team, Burnett led the Yellow Jackets in tackles in the past two seasons, doing so in 2010 despite starting only eight games. As a junior in 2011, he earned second-team All-ACC honors with 113 regular-season tackles, 44 more than any teammate. Not bad for a player who was one of the last members to join the Tech recruiting class of 2009, overlooked in part because of his 5-foot-10 frame.
Prior to last season, Johnson spoke to his relative lack of size, saying that if one were to line up Tech's players, you wouldn't single out Burnett as the "biggest, baddest cat" on the team.
"And you might be wrong, because he might be when you put the pads on," Johnson said.
His nose for the ball, hard-hitting style and underdog status made him a favorite of Tech fans. His work ethic and spirit made him a leader among his peers, who elected him a team captain last season.
"Clearly, there's an adjustment for our team, not just for his performance, but because of all the positive energy that he brought every day," defensive coordinator Al Groh said. "That uplifts everything. That's contagious. Somebody else is going to have to provide that."
Johnson said that Burnett was disappointed, "but I think he can look at the big picture. The team doctors and everybody sat down and talked to him and explained the situation, and I think he understands."
Burnett will remain with the team in an undetermined capacity. A tough, bad cat will need to find a new way to growl.
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