Earlier today former Pack Running Back Willie Burden was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. Willie tore up the football fields of North Carolina in both high school and college. After playing his high school ball at Raleigh's Enloe High School, he went on to suit up in the Red and White from 1971-73. Willie Burden was one of the best Runningbacks to ever play for the Pack. He finished his career with 2,529 yards rushing which ranks him 8th All-Time in Pack History and he also ranks 7th All-Time with 22 Rushing Touchdowns. Willie earned 1st Team All-ACC honors in 1972 and 1973, and also brought home the prestigious ACC Playor of the Year award in 1973 after leading the Pack to a 9-3 record and a 1st place finish in the Conference. He went on to have a prestigious career in the WFL in Canada. Willie continued to bring in the accolades up north earning All-Star honors and the Most Outstanding Player award in '75. He played the entirety of his 8 year career for the Calgary Stampeders. Not only did the Stampeders retire his number in 1982, but he was also inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001. Willie Burden has gone on to make quite a name for himself after his professional career as well. After earning his Masters Degree in Sports Administration from Ohio University, and his doctorate in education from Tennessee State University, Willie has gone from being an Assistant Athletic Director to a tenured professor at Georgia Southern University where he is serving for the 11th straight year.We at Wolfpack Pigskin would like to offer Willie Burden a tremendous congratulations! If any of you Pack fans remember watching Willie run for the Pack, give Willie a shout out and remind us of just how good Willie was.
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2 Responses to "Willie Burden Inducted Into NC Sports Hall of Fame"Granted, I was born in 1974, but why have I never heard of Willie Burden? See, this is the kind of history lesson that Pack fans need. Their are not a lot of National Championship banners in NCSU Football, but we do have a storied history that few people know about. Our alumni turn out for the Spring game was awfully impressive, and Philip wasn't even there. I do have a feeling that we are moving in to uncharted waters with this football team. That's a great feeling. Go Pack!
Good on you, Willie. I live in Calgary and as a kid of about 12 or so, was a fanatical follower of the team when Willie not only won the awrds mentioned in the article, but set the CFL's (not WFL) rushing record for a season. That year, a friend of mine and myself would ride our bikes to McMahon Stadium (home of the Stamps) in hopes of getting autographs from some of the players. After a hard and hot (yes, it does get somewhat hot in Canada) practice, a clearly tired Burden emerged into the parking lot, only to be greeted by my friend and I requesting an autograph. At first he kind of shrugged us off and went to a car where his wife was waiting. A few feet from the car, he did an about face, came back to us, gave us an autograph and indulged us in conversation for a good period of time. A good man, indeed, and one worthy of the school's Hall of Fame, not to mention that of the CFL.
Paul Wells
Calgary
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