Travis Burgess, Grayson quarterback
Today’s interviewee is Grayson quarterback Travis Burgess, whose preseason No. 1-ranked Rams open the season on the road against No. 5 Collins Hill on Friday night. Grayson is the defending Class 6A champion. Burgess passed for 2,255 yards and 23 touchdowns last season, his first as a starter. He committed to North Carolina in May. This interview was done by Dylan Clearfield, a student in the University of Georgia’s undergraduate Sports Media Certificate program.
1. What made last year's team special? “I think it just starts with our coaches, honestly. They built the standard and just the way Grayson runs things. It runs through them. Obviously, it was a player-led team last year which ultimately led to the championship. But it starts with the coaches. We have great coaches, whether they have a great game plan going into the week, whether it's the way they hold us accountable. All those things, that's what ultimately led to the championship. Then, of course, when you have all that, you have great players as well who can go out and execute on the field and do the right things to learn off the field so they can come and play on Friday nights. But we had a great team last year. We have a great team this year, ready to go back to back.”
2. You face a tough task going against Collins Hill’s front seven that has Deuce Geralds and Katrell Webb. What is that going to be like? “Just facing a defensive front like this, I mean, honestly, those guys are great, so just being able to go against them in the beginning of the season gives a test to our o-line and get them ready for the rest of the season. You probably won't see [players like] those guys for another two weeks ... I don't think there's hardly any other teams I would say that have a good defensive front like Collins Hill. But we're Grayson, and we're up for the challenge. I'm actually blessed for this opportunity so we can play against a defensive front like this and kind of show people what Grayson is truly made of. No matter who lines up in front of us, you know we're going to put them in the dirt and get a first down and score touchdowns. So, it comes with it.”
3. Let's talk about your college decision. What made UNC the right pick for you? “Just the coaching staff. I mean, of course, you have Bill Belichick, one of the greatest coaches of all time, but just the staff he brought along with him. Quarterback coach Matt Lombardi, offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens, and then, of course, the defensive guys he brought with him as well. But I mean, just that coaching staff alone, the years of experience they have, whether it was collegiate or NFL. I just felt like that was the right place, talking with the players there. The community is phenomenal, with great academics. So, I mean, just all around, a put-together school where I think I could see myself playing.”
4. What will you miss most about high school football and specifically this team for your senior year? “Just being under Friday night lights. It's nothing like Friday night lights. I mean, even when you get to the big stage, I feel like Friday night lights, it's just going to be something to remember, obviously at a school like Grayson, where the standard is so high and expectations need to be met. So, I'll miss just that. I like putting in the hard work playing for teams who want to compete. You know they're going to give you everything they’ve got. Then when you go out Friday nights, every team tries to give you their best. When a team plays you, that's their Super Bowl. I mean, at Grayson, every team is going to give you their best. So, just missing that part where you know you're going to get everyone's best, and you can go out there and show them what you could truly do. The community as well, Grayson has built a phenomenal community who comes out and supports us, whether it's on or off the field, they do a phenomenal job. So just missing the all-around part about Grayson.”
