Vern Burke
Encyclopedia
Vernon "Vern" Eugene Burke (April 30, 1941–) is a former American football
tight end
who played five seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers
, Atlanta Falcons
, and the New Orleans Saints
.
in Bakersfield, California
and starred in football.
before he enrolled at Oregon State
to play football. He lettered in football in 1961 and 1962, earning a spot as a first team Consensus All-America
n at split end in 1962. Burke caught 69 passes for 1,007 yards, both NCAA records at the time. The Beavers finished 9-2 after a 6-0 victory over Villanova
in the Liberty Bowl
. The Beavers' lone touchdown in that game came on a 99-yard rushing touchdown by Beaver quarterback and 1962 Heisman Trophy
winner, Terry Baker
.
For his achievements in his senior season, Burke was chosen to play in the 1963 East-West Shrine Game
and 1963 Hula Bowl
. Burke was also awarded the 1963 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast.
, the 64th pick overall, by the San Francisco 49ers. Burke did not debut in the NFL however until 1965. He later spent a year each with the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints.
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...
tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
who played five seasons in the NFL with the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
.
High school career
Burke attended North High SchoolNorth High School (Bakersfield, California)
North High School is an American senior high school set in Bakersfield, California. The school is part of the Kern High School District. Its campus is located on Galaxy Avenue.-History:NHS was founded in 1953...
in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
and starred in football.
College career
Burke attended Bakersfield CollegeBakersfield College
Bakersfield College is a public community college located in Bakersfield, California, USA. Bakersfield College has an official Twitter account at @bcrenegades and an official...
before he enrolled at Oregon State
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
to play football. He lettered in football in 1961 and 1962, earning a spot as a first team Consensus All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n at split end in 1962. Burke caught 69 passes for 1,007 yards, both NCAA records at the time. The Beavers finished 9-2 after a 6-0 victory over Villanova
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
. The Beavers' lone touchdown in that game came on a 99-yard rushing touchdown by Beaver quarterback and 1962 Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner, Terry Baker
Terry Baker
For the Canadian football player of the same name see Terry Baker .Terry Wayne Baker is a former quarterback for the Oregon State University football team. He played for them through the 1960-1962 seasons. He is most notable for winning the 1962 Heisman Trophy and playing the Final Four in the...
.
For his achievements in his senior season, Burke was chosen to play in the 1963 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
and 1963 Hula Bowl
Hula Bowl
The Hula Bowl was an independently administered post-season invitational college football game held each year in Hawaii from 1947 to 2008. The game was last played at Aloha Stadium in the Hālawa district of Honolulu, Hawaii. At one point the longest-running sporting event in Hawaii, it had been...
. Burke was also awarded the 1963 W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy
The W. J. Voit Memorial Trophy was awarded by the Helms Athletic Foundation from 1951 to 1978 to the outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast. The recipient was determined based on votes cast by West Coast football writers and later broadcasters as well. Award recipients include...
as the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast.
Professional career
Burke was drafted in the 5th round of the 1963 NFL DraftNFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
, the 64th pick overall, by the San Francisco 49ers. Burke did not debut in the NFL however until 1965. He later spent a year each with the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints.