Colorado University Athletics
MARCUS BURTON BIOGRAPHY
MARCUS BURTON, ILB
6-0, 220, Channelview, Texas (Channelview)
HIGH SCHOOL?As a senior, he was a member of the Houston Chronicle Top 100 (one of the top 11 linebackers), with Scout.com named him to its All-Southwest Defensive Team and ranked him No. 41 on its Hot 100 list (the second linebacker). A team captain in 2004, he was also a SuperPrep All-Southwest selection (No. 46 overall, third-best LB) and a PrepStar All-Midlands player, while Rivals.com tabbed him the No. 36 outside linebacker in the nation and the No. 51 overall prep on its postseason Texas Top 100 list. He also earned second-team all-state and first-team all-district (23-4A) honors, en route to being named his team’s MVP, and as a junior, he earned second-team all-district honors. As a sophomore playing defensive end at Jack Yates High School, he earned first-team all-district (17-5A) honors, and was an honorable mention all-Greater Houston Area honoree. He posted 145 tackles (including 85 solo and 60 for loss) his senior year, when he also had three quarterback sacks, 20 quarterback pressures, six forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries one interception and three pass deflections. Splitting time between end and outside ?backer as a junior, he tallied 65 tackles (47 solo), including 20 tackles for loss, eight sacks, 18 hurries, six forced fumbles, two recovered fumbles, one interception and three pass deflections. His sophomore season he had 93 stops (54 solo, including 37 for loss), an amazing 21.5 sacks, 35 hurries, seven forced fumbles, two interceptions and seven pass breakups. Top games included when he was a sophomore in 2002 in a 23-20 win over Forest Brook in a state-record eight overtimes, he had 15 tackles (10 solo, all for losses including five sacks), with five quarterback pressures and a forced fumble. In a 28-14 loss to Forrest Brook two years later, he had 17 tackles (13 solo), including six for loss, one sack, three pressures, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup. As a freshman, in one of the proudest moments of his early career, he sacked former Madison High School senior and soon-to-be Texas Longhorn gunslinger Vincent Young in a 56-13 first-round playoff loss. “That was huge for me. It gave me confidence and let me know I could compete with the best,” Burton adds when looking back. Under coach John Lainus, Channelview was 1-9 his senior year and 5-5 his junior season; at Jack Yates his sophomore year, his team won district by going 8-4 and was 7-4 his freshman season, losing in the first-round of state each year. He has also lettered twice in track (throws), with his best mark in the shot put being 50-0 and 120-0 in the discus.
ACADEMICS?He is interested in communication as a major at Colorado, and may like to pursue a career in broadcast television someday. He owns a 3.6 grade point average (3.0 core) as a prep, and was on the “A-B” honor roll his junior year. He was also named to the Who’s Who Among Texas Student-Athletes when he was a junior.
VITALS?Has 4.57 speed in the 40 and bench presses 330 pounds.
RECRUITING?He selected Colorado over Washington State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Houston, Duke and Texas Christian.
PERSONAL?Born April 21, 1987 in Houston, Texas. Hobbies include painting, stencil drawing and playing video games. His church youth group volunteers at a local homeless shelter and makes hospital visits. He is active in his sports marketing class that helps out junior high athletic programs set up fundraising events and games. An uncle, Dale Joseph, played cornerback in the NFL for Tampa Bay and Arizona in the early 1990s, and competed in the CFL for Saskatchewan and British Columbia. A grandfather, Carlton Joseph, was a defensive end and tackle at Wisconsin from 1959-60.