A sporting cause: Burkhead returns to hometown to host three-sport fundraiser

Nearly a decade removed from a banner high school at Plano Senior, alum Rex Burkhead, right, has balanced his time in the NFL with helping combat pediatric brain cancer as part of the Team Jack Foundation. On Saturday, Burkhead returns to his hometown to host the Team Jack Trifecta, a three-sport fundraiser.

By Matt Welch
March 30, 2017

The past six months have been a bit of a whirlwind for Plano Senior alum Rex Burkhead.

In addition to juggling the rigors and responsibilities of his fourth year in the NFL, it was around early fall when Burkhead began putting the wheels in motion for an endeavor he had been eying for some time: a fundraiser in his hometown of Plano.

On Saturday, that vision will become a reality as Burkhead returns to his alma mater to host the inaugural Team Jack Trifecta, a three-sport fundraiser benefiting pediatric brain cancer research.

“I’m excited. I’m a little nervous, just hoping everything goes smoothly and according to plan, but I’m excited that it’s almost here,” Burkhead said. “I can’t wait to see the turnout and hopefully it’s something a lot of people will enjoy and take part in.”

Over the years, Burkhead has emerged as a cornerstone in raising awareness for pediatric brain cancer after befriending 11-year-old Jack Hoffman, who was diagnosed with the disease at age 5 in 2011. Since, Burkhead helped launch the Team Jack Foundation, which is dedicated to raising money for research on children’s cancers – an endeavor that has garnered almost $4 million toward the cause.

“Jack’s dad and I have talked about how we never could have thought that this would grow into what it’s become today,” Burkhead said. “It’s been unbelievable to be part of and to see how many people have jumped on board.”

Although the organization’s fundraisers have largely been confined to Nebraska – where Hoffman lives and Burkhead played college football – the former Wildcat is anxious to expand the organization’s scope to his home state. That endeavor begins Saturday with the Team Jack Trifecta, which will feature a 5K fun run, a youth football camp and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

“I’ve wanted to do something in Plano for a while and didn’t know what it would be,” Burkhead said. “At first, I was thinking of doing a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, but wanted something that would appeal to all ages, so I then decided on a 5K. Then football came in there as well, so we decided we might as well call it a trifecta.”

The festivities begin at 8 a.m. Saturday with a fun run around the Plano Senior High School campus. Online registration ($35 for adults, $15 for children 10 and under) for that event is open through 11:59 p.m. tonight, and individuals can still register on-site on Saturday.

“The 5K hits all people and all age groups,” Burkhead said. “You don’t have to be a professional runner either. You can even bring your kid out and push them in a stroller.”

From 10 a.m.-noon, Burkhead will take to the gridiron to help coach his first youth football camp. There, he will be joined by several NFL veterans, including Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah, Allen alum and Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Cedric Ogbuehi and eight-year NFL vet Craig Dahl, as well as former high school teammates and Plano alums Carson Meger and Kris Lott.

The event is open to kids ages six through 14 and costs $50.

Naturally, Burkhead plans to be active coaching kids at the camp’s running back station.

“I’ve been a part of some (camps) with other people, but this is the first one I’ve actually held,” Burkhead said. “I’m excited and we’ve got a great group of guys coming out for it.”

The trifecta rounds out at 1 p.m. with a 3-on-3 basketball tournament, open to players who are out of high school or college. The registration fee is $100 per four-person team and the tournament holds a maximum of 24 teams.

All proceeds from the event will support pediatric brain cancer research.

“We’ve got a lot of people who want to be involved and will be out there participating,” Burkhead said. “It’s neat seeing a bunch of my high school friends and their families getting involved in whatever way they can. We’re expecting a pretty good turnout, so I’m excited.

“We’re getting more and more numbers everyday, especially this week as we get closer, so I can’t wait to see what it’s going to look like on Saturday.”

To register for any of the three events at the Team Jack Trifecta, go to teamjackfoundation.org/plano.

Burkhead's former running backs coach: "He's going to flourish" with Patriots

By Phil Perry

March 28, 2017

PHOENIX -- Rex Burkhead was buried on a deep running back depth chart in Cincinnati, but in New England he may finally have a chance to show his offensive value. That's how Burkhead's former running backs coach and offensive coordinator Hue Jackson feels, at least.

Before he was hired as Browns head coach last season, Jackson worked closely with Burkhead for three years and saw the 5-foot-10, 210-pounder's versatile skill set on a daily basis. With the Patriots, under Bill Belichick and Josh McDaniels, Jackson believes Burkhead has a chance to see that skill set maximized.

"He's very talented," Jackson said during the league meetings at the Arizona Biltmore. "He's a guy that was playing behind some very talented players [with the Bengals], and so he's going to get his opportunity now, and he's going to flourish. He's a really good player. A really good player.

"He's very versatile because he's a good runner, a good pass-catcher. He's a good blocker. He's very bright. He's been a sensational special teams player there so he brings a lot of different elements to that football team."

The Patriots signed Burkhead to a one-year deal earlier this offseason that could pay him more than $3 million -- a sign that they're hoping he'll factor heavily into the offense in 2017. With LeGarrette Blount still on the free-agent market, Burkhead is currently the biggest back on the Patriots roster alongside Dion Lewis, James White and DJ Foster, and he could be in line for a significant amount of work in short-yardage situations and on first and second down.

Burkhead served primarily as a special-teamer during his four-year career in Cincinnati, but in Week 17 of last season, because of injuries to his teammates at the position, he was the Bengals lead back and ran 27 times for 119 yards and two touchdowns. We took a closer look at the qualities he put on display that day right here.

It was a performance that gave Burkhead's profile a where-did-that-come-from type of boost as he headed toward unrestricted free agency, but his head coach at the time wasn't surprised.

"Not at all. That's why we drafted him," said Bengals sideline boss Marvin Lewis, who went on to explain why Burkhead was an inconsistent offensive contributor leading up to that game.

"A lot of times when Rex got opportunities to play, he wasn't quite 100 percent and so that kind of limited him some. Even in preseason opportunities and so forth like that where you'd go into the game, and it'd be Rex's -- in my mind, Rex's ballgame -- to carry the ball in the first or second quarter and he wasn't able to suit up that day.

"That's one of the things he's battled over his career is just being 100 percent completely healthy. [But] he's just a hard-working guy who always wants to be out there."

And in New England, it looks like he'll have the chance to be out there more.

Browns sign defensive lineman Jamie Meder

The Browns have signed defensive lineman Jamie Meder. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

By Dan Labbe
March 28, 2017

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The "Pierogi Prince of Parma" is sticking around in Berea for a little while longer. The Browns signed defensive lineman Jamie Meder, who earned his nickname from left tackle Joe Thomas, the team announced on Tuesday.

Meder was an exclusive rights free agent, meaning he was only able to negotiate with the Browns.

Meder, who attended Valley Forge High School in Parma Heights, has appeared in 33 games, including 15 starts since joining the Browns in 2014. Meder was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens.

Thomas gave Meder the nickname after he blocked a potential game-tying field goal attempt during the Browns' Christmas Eve victory over the Chargers, the team's only win of the season. Meder was named AFC Special Teams Player of Week for his efforts.