How Jackson Burlage became Nevada football's mouthpiece and leading tackler
If a Nevada football player does something well on defense, Jackson Burlage is going to let them know about it.
The rest of the team and the crowd in the stands will get the message too.
“He’s really loud, so when we make a big play he’s always hyping,” said Nevada linebacker Anthony Eaton. “It’s very fun.”
Even though he was just a sophomore last season, Burlage emerged as the vocal leader for Nevada.
“I’m screaming a lot,” Burlage said. “I feel I can get the boys pretty hyped up on the sidelines.”
Burlage came out of nowhere last season to help the Cubs go 8-3 and earn a third-straight trip to the Class 3A playoffs.
His loud and active persona combined with a tremendous work ethic and excellent natural instincts make him one of the best linebackers in all of Class 3A.
“What I think is special about Jack is attitude and effort,” said Nevada coach Andrew Kleeman. “He is the epitome of both of those things. He’s got a motor that is as good as anybody I’ve ever coached.”
Burlage led Nevada in tackles last season with 69.5. He had 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
Burlage started to find his comfort zone during a 49-26 victory at Roland-Story in the fourth week of the season.
From there things just kept getting easier for him. It made life a lot better for the rest of the defense as well.
“I love playing with Jack,” said Nevada defensive end Kobe Thipasouk. “He’s a great leader and a strong anchor for our defense. He appreciates when we make plays up front and when he cleans up it’s nice.”
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Burlage is generously listed at 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds. But he makes up for his lack of size with tremendous strength.
“J-Bur, he’s really loud in the weight room and a freak in there,” said Nevada running back and outside linebacker Cason Stevenson. “It shows on the field. He is one of the hardest hitters I know.”
Burlage also has also displayed outstanding natural instincts on the field.
“He doesn’t really hesitate,” Kleeman said. “I think that’s what has allowed him to get better.”
Attention to detail is another strength. Burlage spends countless hours analyzing his game to correct his weaknesses and find ways to play more to his strengths.
“He watches as much film as anybody on our team,” Kleeman said. “If I was to go look at the average time of our players Jack by far exceeds most, if not all of them.”
That dedication has made life a lot easier for Eaton.
Eaton will join Burlage as an inside backer this season. He is moving over from outside linebacker.
Eaton said Burlage has been helpful in helping him make the adjustment. It helps that the two grew up playing together.
“I’ve been playing with Jack ever since (Nevada) Titans Little League in fifth grade,” Eaton said. “We’ve always had great chemistry.”
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Burlage said he has a tremendous amount of respect and trust for Eaton and all of his teammates on the defensive side of the ball.
“It all starts with our boys in the trenches,” Burlage said. “I need a gap I can run through and then I can read the running back. I need to be able to trust my secondary level — then I know I can really commit to the run — and I need to be able to trust my other middle linebacker, where if I make a mistake he’s always got my back.”
Playing for his teammates provides a lot of motivation for Burlage. He said there is a lot of work to be done between now and the end of the season, but if everything comes together Nevada could once again find itself in the playoffs.
“I don’t care how I do individually as long as my team does well,” Burlage said. “Obviously we have big ambitions. Just win games...that’s my mentality.”
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Nevada linebacker Jackson Burlage plans to have a big junior season
