Football

a Two-Sport Career at B-W

BEREA—What do Wilmington quarterback Billy Blackburn, Muskingum running back Steve Howard and the  Heidelberg College wide receivers have in common? Each has met the middle linebacker from Baldwin-Wallace College’s "Swarm" defense, Paul Burger "up close and personal". Unfortunately, none of them enjoyed the introduction.

In his first season in Berea after transferring from NCAA Division II Edinboro University in Pennsylvania, Burger has made an immediate impact. He is currently leading the team and is third in the Ohio Athletic Conference in tackles with 59. Heading into this weekend’s match-up with Otterbein College, Burger is second on the team with eight tackles for lost yardage.

Against the OAC’s top scoring and running offense in Mount Union, Burger led the team with 13 tackles, including nine solo stops. Two of the 13 tackles were for lost yardage.

Fifth-year head coach John Snell realizes how important Burger has been to a defense that lost all three linebackers from the 2005 team to graduation.

"Losing Joe George, the career leader in tackles, was certainly a big loss for us," Snell stated. "We lost three very good linebackers to graduation last year in Joe, Justin [Princehorn] and Matt [Martig].

"Having Paul has been somewhat of a savior because we were going into the season without having a middle linebacker that had any game experience," added Snell, who is 33-16 as the coach of his alma mater. "He has been able to step in and fill the void."

On September 23, Burger caught Blackburn behind the line of scrimmage and forced a fumble from the young quarterback. Not only did he force the loose ball, Burger fell on it and set up a touchdown that helped the Yellow Jackets beat the Wilmington Quakers, 14-0. His performance was good enough for OAC Player of the Week honors.

Despite the individual accolades, Burger looks at it as a team honor.

"It’s nice to get recognized for what you do. It always is," Burger stated with a smile. "At the same time,  everything I get is because of what the guys in front of me, the guys behind me and the guys next to me do. I would rather have it say "Baldwin-Wallace’s defense [is] Player of the Week."

After seeing Burger’s abilities on the field, Snell is happy with his progress.

"He’s got a very good understanding of how to play that position," Snell stated. "He has good instincts for the ball. He has a knack of getting by or around blockers and getting to the football. That’s pretty important at that position."

Burger, a native of Mentor, Ohio, is excited to be in a program where his talents are appreciated.

"I was not really happy there [at Edinboro], especially when my coach left. The switch in schools has worked out well for me," Burger stated. "I sat down with Coach Howard [B-W Defensive Coordinator Adam Howard] before I decided to transfer. He started talking about the defense with me. The way he teaches defense. Coach Howard makes it really easy to learn, even though it is difficult to play."

While transferring to B-W came with its challenges, the opportunity to continue playing the game of football made the switch from Edinboro to Berea less hectic.

"The easiest part of the transition would have to be football. As soon as I came here, I was accepted very quickly by the players and the coaching staff," Burger continued. "I was fourth string on the depth chart and I had a lot of friends that were starting."

His number one objective was to move up the depth chart quickly. He began the season splitting time with sophomore Ryan Schaefer (Garrettsville/ Garfield). Once he got an opportunity to show his skills, Burger never looked back.

"I didn’t know who I  was going to compete with. The only thought in my mind was to compete to start," Burger emphatically stated. "Once I got the starting position, now I’m thinking all I want to do is win a conference title. Now our goal is to win our final three games and get a berth in the NCAA Division III Playoffs."

With the three remaining games on the schedule being against Ohio Northern today, at Otterbein College next Saturday (Nov. 4) and versus Capital University at Finnie Stadium on Nov. 11, the Yellow Jackets have a tough road to the playoffs. However, if they play as aggressively on defense as they have in the first seven games, Burger believes the team can do great things.

"We’ve been playing really well," he stated. "We had one mishap against Marietta when our defense didn’t play as well as we expected. We had a lot of missed assignments and errors. I don’t feel that they beat us, I feel we beat ourselves.

"I’d like to play them [Marietta] again, but I know that we will have to wait until next year for that to happen"  added Burger. "Other than that game, our defense has played pretty solid football."

Burger, who will wrestle for the Yellow Jacket grapplers during the winter, continues competing in the sport of football for one simple reason.

"The love for the game and love for the team is what drives me," Burger stated. "I didn’t really get along with my teammates at Edinboro and I began to lose that desire to compete.

"There’s not one person on this team who I don’t get along with," Burger continued. "You go out in the huddle and you’ve got 10 other guys looking back at you, depending on you and at the same time you’re depending on them. Knowing that they’re going to be there for you is a great feeling."

Though football is going well for the former Cleveland Touchdown Club Lake-Geauga County Defensive Player of the Year, he knows his playing days will not last forever.

"I plan on working in the stock market as a financial planner or trader in stocks and bonds," stated Burger, who is a business administration and finance major.

While the scenes have changed from Osborne Stadium in Mentor to The George Finnie Stadium in Berea, Burger has had a strong support system throughout his career.

"I’ve had a lot of influences over the years," Burger stated. "My biggest influence was my dad. In my 13 years of playing football, he’s only missed two games. He’s there for everything and is always calling me and giving me encouragement."

Burger has led the Yellow Jackets to a 5-2 overall record in 2006. Last Saturday, Mount Union entered George Finnie Stadium averaging 61.5 points per game.

The Burger-led defense held the Purple Raiders to a mere 14 points. Now, Burger and "the Swarm Defense" have a great opportunity to prove that "Offense sells tickets and Defense wins Championships!"

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact B-W Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX machine at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail at kruple@bw.edu . To contact Head Coach John Snell, please call him in the office at 440-826-2069 or you can reach him via e-mail at  jsnell@bw.edu .