Joe Burch
Encyclopedia
Joe Burch is a former American football
offensive and defensive lineman.
in Dallas, Texas
, where he won the 1988 5A Texas state championship alongside Jessie Armstead
and Clifton Abraham
. He went on the play at Texas Southern University
, where he was named Second Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference
during his junior year. As a senior in 1993, he was named Offensive Lineman of the Year, First Team Division I-AA All-American and All-Southwestern Athletic Conference.
He was drafted in the third round (90th overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft
by the New England Patriots
, but never played in the National Football League
. Burch began his arena football
career in 1994, starting the season with Connecticut Coyotes
before being traded to the Arizona Rattlers
for quarterback
Aaron Garcia.
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...
offensive and defensive lineman.
Early years
Burch prepped at David W. Carter High SchoolDavid W. Carter High School
David Wendel Carter High School is a public school located in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas . David W. Carter High School, which covers grades 9-12, is a part of the Dallas Independent School District....
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, where he won the 1988 5A Texas state championship alongside Jessie Armstead
Jessie Armstead
Jessie Willard Armstead is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League who played for eleven seasons with the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins between 1993 and 2003. He played college football at the University of Miami.-High school career:Armstead attended...
and Clifton Abraham
Clifton Abraham
Clifton Eugene Abraham was an American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Chicago Bears, and the Carolina Panthers. He played college football at Florida State University. He played high school football at David W...
. He went on the play at Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University is a historically black university located in Houston, Texas, United States....
, where he was named Second Team All-Southwestern Athletic Conference
Southwestern Athletic Conference
The Southwestern Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which is made up of historically black universities in the Southern United States...
during his junior year. As a senior in 1993, he was named Offensive Lineman of the Year, First Team Division I-AA All-American and All-Southwestern Athletic Conference.
He was drafted in the third round (90th overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft
1994 NFL Draft
The 1994 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24-25, 1994. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
by 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...
, but never played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Burch began his arena football
Arena football
Arena football is a variety of gridiron football played by the Arena Football League . It is a proprietary game, the rights to which are owned by Gridiron Enterprises, and is played indoors on a smaller field than American or Canadian outdoor football, resulting in a faster and higher-scoring game....
career in 1994, starting the season with Connecticut Coyotes
Connecticut Coyotes
The Connecticut Coyotes were a franchise in the Arena Football League.-History:They competed in the 1995 and 1996 AFL seasons. They played their home games at the Hartford Civic Center....
before being traded to the Arizona Rattlers
Arizona Rattlers
The Arizona Rattlers are a professional arena football team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Conference in the Arena Football League . The Rattlers were founded in 1992 as an expansion team. They play their home games at US Airways Center...
for quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Aaron Garcia.