Derrick Burgess
Encyclopedia
Derrick Lee Burgess is an American football
defensive end
who is currently a free agent
. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Mississippi
.
Burgess has also played for the Oakland Raiders
and New England Patriots
. During his years in Oakland, he was selected to the Pro Bowl
twice, and in 2005 led the NFL in sacks with 16.
, where he played football and basketball
. As a senior, Burgess recorded 102 tackles and four sacks and was an all-state selection at outside linebacker.
, where he led his team as a senior in 2000 with 9.5 sacks. He was also named to the first-team All-SEC
that season.
in the 2001 NFL Draft
. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and had six sacks. In 2002
, however, he broke his foot in the first game of the season and missed the rest of the year. He then missed all of 2003 due to a torn Achilles tendon
.
He returned healthy in 2004
and started 12 regular season games for the Eagles, recording 2.5 sacks. He had more success in the postseason, where he recorded three quarterback sacks, including the Eagles' only sack in Super Bowl XXXIX
against the New England Patriots
.
prior to the 2005 season
, and was originally slated to be a backup. By the middle of the season, he worked his way into the lineup thanks to his success as a pass rusher; most notably, he had six quarterback sack
s over a three-game span. He became particularly successful at the end of the season and recorded nine over the final seven games of the year; the last sack would break Sean Jones'
team record for sacks in a single season. His 16 sacks overall led the NFL and earned him his first Pro Bowl
bid. Burgess finished the 2006 season
with 11 sacks and earned a second Pro Bowl bid. Even though Burgess dealt with a nagging calf injury all year, he finished 2007
with eight sacks and 40 tackles.
On December 23, 2007, Burgess and teammate Warren Sapp
were involved in an altercation with NFL referees near the end of the second quarter of the Raiders' game at Jacksonville. The incident began when linesman Jerry Bergman mistakenly assumed that the Raiders wished to decline a Jacksonville ten-yard penalty. Sapp, the defensive captain, began speaking with referee Jerome Boger
, indicating that the Raiders instead wished to accept the penalty. The conversation became heated, with Sapp gesturing and swearing. This resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct call by Boger against Sapp. Sapp and his defensive teammates continued interacting with the officials after the penalty was called, resulting in a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp and another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed against Burgess. Finally, the coaches and officiating staff entered the field and began physically separating and removing the arguing players. Boger claimed that during this time Sapp "bumped" him; Sapp denies making physical contact. Regardless, at this point Boger levied a third unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp and ejected him from the game. Sapp did not play in the second half and was eventually fined $75,000 by the NFL; Burgess received a $25,000 fine.
Burgess played in and started 10 games for the Raiders in 2008
, recording 3.5 sacks. Entering the final year of his contract, Burgess failed to report to the team's training camp in August 2009 and was placed on the Did Not Report list. He was traded to the New England Patriots
on August 6.
to the Raiders in exchange for Burgess. The trade was made on the condition that, because the Patriots had already traded their fifth-round selection, the fourth-round selection sent to Oakland would become a fifth-round selection once the Patriots re-acquired one. Later that month, the Patriots traded defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith
to the Denver Broncos
along with a seventh-round pick (acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles
) to the Denver Broncos
in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round pick, which was sent to Oakland for the Patriots' original fourth-round pick.
Burgess played in all 16 games for the Patriots in 2009
, starting six. He finished the season with 35 tackles and five sacks. He became an unrestricted free agent following the season and was re-signed by the Patriots on May 14, 2010. However, Burgess did not report to Patriots training camp, and was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list on July 29, 2010. He was reinstated to the active roster on August 13, the day after the Patriots' first preseason game. He was released during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
on December 28. He was released on December 30.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Mississippi
Ole Miss Rebels football
The football history of the University of Mississippi , includes the formation of the first football team in the state and is 26th on the list of college football's all-time winning programs...
.
Burgess has also played for the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
. During his years in Oakland, he was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
twice, and in 2005 led the NFL in sacks with 16.
Early years
Burgess attended Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, MarylandGreenbelt, Maryland
Greenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
, where he played football and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
. As a senior, Burgess recorded 102 tackles and four sacks and was an all-state selection at outside linebacker.
College career
After graduating from high school, Burgess attended the University of MississippiUniversity of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
, where he led his team as a senior in 2000 with 9.5 sacks. He was also named to the first-team All-SEC
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
that season.
First stint with Eagles
Burgess was drafted in the third round (63rd overall) by the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the 2001 NFL Draft
2001 NFL Draft
The 2001 NFL Draft took place on April 21–22, 2001 at the theater at Madison Square Garden, in New York City. This was the 66th National Football League draft in league history. The draft was broadcast on ESPN both days and eventually moved to ESPN2. No teams elected to claim any players in the...
. He appeared in all 16 games as a rookie and had six sacks. In 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, however, he broke his foot in the first game of the season and missed the rest of the year. He then missed all of 2003 due to a torn Achilles tendon
Achilles tendon
The Achilles tendon , also known as the calcaneal tendon or the tendo calcaneus, is a tendon of the posterior leg. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius and soleus muscles to the calcaneus bone.- Anatomy :The Achilles is the tendonous extension of 3 muscles in the lower leg:...
.
He returned healthy in 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
and started 12 regular season games for the Eagles, recording 2.5 sacks. He had more success in the postseason, where he recorded three quarterback sacks, including the Eagles' only sack in Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX
Super Bowl XXXIX was an American football game played on February 6, 2005, at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, to decide the National Football League champion following the 2004 regular season...
against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
.
Oakland Raiders
Burgess was signed by the Oakland RaidersOakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
prior to the 2005 season
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, and was originally slated to be a backup. By the middle of the season, he worked his way into the lineup thanks to his success as a pass rusher; most notably, he had six quarterback sack
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
s over a three-game span. He became particularly successful at the end of the season and recorded nine over the final seven games of the year; the last sack would break Sean Jones'
Sean Jones (defensive end)
Dwight Sean Jones is a former American football defensive end, who played for the Los Angeles Raiders , Houston Oilers , and the Green Bay Packers . Jones was selected to the Pro Bowl after the 1993 season...
team record for sacks in a single season. His 16 sacks overall led the NFL and earned him his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
bid. Burgess finished the 2006 season
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
with 11 sacks and earned a second Pro Bowl bid. Even though Burgess dealt with a nagging calf injury all year, he finished 2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
with eight sacks and 40 tackles.
On December 23, 2007, Burgess and teammate Warren Sapp
Warren Sapp
Warren Carlos Sapp is a retired American football player who played defensive tackle in the National Football League. He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Oakland Raiders during his 13 year professional career, and college football for the University of Miami Hurricanes. He was then...
were involved in an altercation with NFL referees near the end of the second quarter of the Raiders' game at Jacksonville. The incident began when linesman Jerry Bergman mistakenly assumed that the Raiders wished to decline a Jacksonville ten-yard penalty. Sapp, the defensive captain, began speaking with referee Jerome Boger
Jerome Boger
Jerome Boger is an American football official in the National Football League since the 2004 NFL season. He wears uniform number 23 since 2006; before that, he wore uniform number 109. He started in the league as a line judge and was promoted to referee in 2006 after two seasons...
, indicating that the Raiders instead wished to accept the penalty. The conversation became heated, with Sapp gesturing and swearing. This resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct call by Boger against Sapp. Sapp and his defensive teammates continued interacting with the officials after the penalty was called, resulting in a second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp and another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty assessed against Burgess. Finally, the coaches and officiating staff entered the field and began physically separating and removing the arguing players. Boger claimed that during this time Sapp "bumped" him; Sapp denies making physical contact. Regardless, at this point Boger levied a third unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against Sapp and ejected him from the game. Sapp did not play in the second half and was eventually fined $75,000 by the NFL; Burgess received a $25,000 fine.
Burgess played in and started 10 games for the Raiders in 2008
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
, recording 3.5 sacks. Entering the final year of his contract, Burgess failed to report to the team's training camp in August 2009 and was placed on the Did Not Report list. He was traded to the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on August 6.
New England Patriots
On August 6, 2009, the Patriots traded their original third- and fourth-round selections in the 2010 NFL Draft2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
to the Raiders in exchange for Burgess. The trade was made on the condition that, because the Patriots had already traded their fifth-round selection, the fourth-round selection sent to Oakland would become a fifth-round selection once the Patriots re-acquired one. Later that month, the Patriots traded defensive lineman Le Kevin Smith
Le Kevin Smith
Le Kevin Smith is an American football defensive lineman of the National Football League, who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
along with a seventh-round pick (acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
) to the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in exchange for the Broncos' fifth-round pick, which was sent to Oakland for the Patriots' original fourth-round pick.
Burgess played in all 16 games for the Patriots in 2009
2009 New England Patriots season
The 2009 New England Patriots season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League and 50th season overall. They finished with a 10–6 record and a division title before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs....
, starting six. He finished the season with 35 tackles and five sacks. He became an unrestricted free agent following the season and was re-signed by the Patriots on May 14, 2010. However, Burgess did not report to Patriots training camp, and was placed on the Reserve/Did Not Report list on July 29, 2010. He was reinstated to the active roster on August 13, the day after the Patriots' first preseason game. He was released during final cuts on September 4, 2010.
Second stint with Eagles
Burgess was re-signed to a two-year contract by the Philadelphia Eagles on December 14, 2010. He played in a week 16 game against the Minnesota VikingsMinnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
on December 28. He was released on December 30.