Former Pack RB Willie Burden Passes Away
12/4/2015 9:00:00 PM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - Former NC State running back Willie Burden, the 1973 ACC Player of the Year and the first Wolfpack player to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, passed away on Friday while awaiting a heart transplant at Atlanta's Piedmont Hospital. He was 64.
The Rocky Mount, North Carolina, native and Raleigh Enloe High School graduate suffered from congestive heart failure for several years and had been placed on the national heart transplant list earlier this year. He checked into the hospital on Feb. 16 and remained there until he died Friday afternoon, according to family friends.
Though close by, Burden was unable to attend the games of his youngest son, Freddie, who just completed his junior season as a center at Georgia Tech.
"My father is now watching over us from a better place and his struggle is over," Freddie Burden said via Twitter Friday. "Rest easy, dad. I'll see you again. Love you so much."
His older son, Willie Burden Jr., is also an academic advisor with the Yellow Jackets. Daughter, Courtney. lives in Raleigh.
In addition to his three children, Burden is survived by his wife, Velma, who is the registrar at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia, where Willie Burden was also a tenured professor in sports management.
Burden was a superstar at Enloe, at NC State and in the Canadian Football League, where he was named the league's 1975 Player of the Year while playing for the Calgary Stampeders.
While at NC State, he was the leader of "The Stallions," the name given to him, fullback Stan Fritts, running backs Charley Young and Roland Hooks and quarterback Dave Buckey for head coach Lou Holtz's twin veer offense.
"He was such a nice guy, in all situations," Dave Buckey said. "He always had a smile on his face. In the midst of challenging situations, at times pressure-packed, I never saw him upset.
"He was a real gentleman as well as a tremendous competitor."
In 1973, Burden had 1,014 yards on 150 carries with eight touchdowns to become the first of NC State's 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons in school history. He still ranks among the school's top 10 with 2,529 career rushing yards with 22 career rushing touchdowns.
Burden spent eight years playing in the CFL, setting a league record with 1,896 yards in 1975 and earning the league's Player of the Year award. In 2002, his No. 10 jersey was added to the Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame, and in 2001 he was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame.
While still playing professionally, Burden returned to Raleigh and worked for the NC State athletics department. He did some coaching, athletics fundraising and marketing. He graduated with a degree in economics in 1974.
"[Athletics director] Willis Casey just spread me around so I could learn the business," Burden said in a 2006 interview. "He said when you are done playing, the first thing you need to do is get your Master's degree if you are going to get into this business."
He did that and more, earning a Master's in sports administration from Ohio University in 1984 and a doctorate in education from Tennessee State in 1990. He was the athletics director at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro from 1990-99 and then entered academia as a professor in sports management at Georgia Southern.
In 2009, Burden was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and served as NC State's Legend at the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
Visitation for Willie Burden will be Friday from 6-8Â p.m. at Lea Funeral Home at 2500 Poole Rd. in Raleigh. Burial services will be Saturday, but details are still pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Byrd's Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1178, Rose Hill, N.C. 28458.
By Tim Peeler
The Rocky Mount, North Carolina, native and Raleigh Enloe High School graduate suffered from congestive heart failure for several years and had been placed on the national heart transplant list earlier this year. He checked into the hospital on Feb. 16 and remained there until he died Friday afternoon, according to family friends.
Though close by, Burden was unable to attend the games of his youngest son, Freddie, who just completed his junior season as a center at Georgia Tech.
"My father is now watching over us from a better place and his struggle is over," Freddie Burden said via Twitter Friday. "Rest easy, dad. I'll see you again. Love you so much."
His older son, Willie Burden Jr., is also an academic advisor with the Yellow Jackets. Daughter, Courtney. lives in Raleigh.
In addition to his three children, Burden is survived by his wife, Velma, who is the registrar at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia, where Willie Burden was also a tenured professor in sports management.
Burden was a superstar at Enloe, at NC State and in the Canadian Football League, where he was named the league's 1975 Player of the Year while playing for the Calgary Stampeders.
While at NC State, he was the leader of "The Stallions," the name given to him, fullback Stan Fritts, running backs Charley Young and Roland Hooks and quarterback Dave Buckey for head coach Lou Holtz's twin veer offense.
"He was such a nice guy, in all situations," Dave Buckey said. "He always had a smile on his face. In the midst of challenging situations, at times pressure-packed, I never saw him upset.
"He was a real gentleman as well as a tremendous competitor."
In 1973, Burden had 1,014 yards on 150 carries with eight touchdowns to become the first of NC State's 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons in school history. He still ranks among the school's top 10 with 2,529 career rushing yards with 22 career rushing touchdowns.
Burden spent eight years playing in the CFL, setting a league record with 1,896 yards in 1975 and earning the league's Player of the Year award. In 2002, his No. 10 jersey was added to the Calgary Stampeders Wall of Fame, and in 2001 he was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame.
While still playing professionally, Burden returned to Raleigh and worked for the NC State athletics department. He did some coaching, athletics fundraising and marketing. He graduated with a degree in economics in 1974.
"[Athletics director] Willis Casey just spread me around so I could learn the business," Burden said in a 2006 interview. "He said when you are done playing, the first thing you need to do is get your Master's degree if you are going to get into this business."
He did that and more, earning a Master's in sports administration from Ohio University in 1984 and a doctorate in education from Tennessee State in 1990. He was the athletics director at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro from 1990-99 and then entered academia as a professor in sports management at Georgia Southern.
In 2009, Burden was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame and served as NC State's Legend at the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte.
Visitation for Willie Burden will be Friday from 6-8Â p.m. at Lea Funeral Home at 2500 Poole Rd. in Raleigh. Burial services will be Saturday, but details are still pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Byrd's Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, P.O. Box 1178, Rose Hill, N.C. 28458.
By Tim Peeler
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