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by Danny Jaillet | January 21, 2019
Nebraska
Football alum Rex Burkhead put on a stellar performance Sunday.
It was a great day for several
Nebraska football alumni as a pair will reach the Super Bowl. Ndamukong
Suh will be in Atlanta via the Los Angeles Rams and Sunday
night, Rex Burkhead played
a huge role in the New England Patriots 37-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
When you are an offensive player
on the New England Patriots, you have to accept that you are going to be
overshadowed by Tom Brady. That’s just the way it has been in New England,
and with five Super Bowls, that is not about change anytime soon. Burkhead
signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots back on March 14,
2017. Initially, my personal thought was that he would be merely backfield depth
and not contribute much to the team.
One person who did think that
Burkhead would be able to make a major impact for the Patriots was my friend
from college. He liked Burkhead for his versatility and his toughness and
ability to fight for extra yards. I brushed him off when he kept saying that
Burkhead was a vital part of the Patriots offense. After the outcome and
results of Sunday’s AFC Championship Game, I have to apologize. To my friend,
you were right. Burkhead
has become a bigger part of the New England Patriots offense than I ever
thought possible.
He showed his versatility on Sunday, rushing the
ball 12 times for 41 yards and two touchdowns. A 14-yard scamper was his
longest of the evening. He had several key plays throughout the course of the
game, none more so than in overtime when he scored the game-winning touchdown.
In the second half in particular, he made a couple of key carries that put New
England in better field position. They weren’t necessarily runs that
would be considered earth-shattering in terms of length, but they were key in
terms of field position. He also caught the ball four times for 23 yards.
Burkhead got the gritty, three to four-yard runs that the Patriots needed in
order to make down and distance more manageable.
It is sort of fitting that
Burkhead scored the game-winning touchdown. The New England Patriots have a
reputation for turning players that other teams may overlook into great
team players. Especially in a crowded backfield that includes James White
and Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead may seem like an afterthought to some. Some
of you may have not even remembered what team he was on. That is perfectly
fine, because he is not going to be a running back that ranks among the elite
in the National Football League. However, his grittiness and toughness will forever endear him to
both Nebraska and New England Patriots fans alike.
If anything, this game was just a continuation of what
Burkhead did as a member of the Nebraska football program. He rushed for 3,329
yards and 30 touchdowns during his Nebraska football career. His best season
came as a junior in 2011. That year, he lit up Lincoln and other college
football towns, rushing for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns. He scored 102 total
points which put him second in the Big Ten conference in that category. The 15
touchdowns rank him third in the entire conference as well. He truly had a
great year that year if anything, that was a microcosm of his football career
in general.
Burkhead has managed to put up numbers. For his
career, he has recorded 208 rushing attempts for 825 yards and a touchdowns.
Although those do not scream efficiency, they certainly scream productivity. He has certainly been an asset
with the Patriots ever since he came to New England. He has been a threat both
in the running and passing game, and to be a running back from New England you
need to be fluent in both types of offense. Sunday, he showed that he can be
effective in both areas.
Congratulations Rex, you have made Nebraska football proud. Now, Burkhead will face Suh in what should be
a Super Bowl matchup for the ages.
