by Andy Hilton, recruit757
Grassfield LB Drew Burns (Photo: Stacey Rhea/Grassfield)
Grassfield’s Drew Burns had his choices narrowed. It was either going to be Old Dominion or Virginia Tech. The 6-4 215 athletic outside linebacker has the build of a college football player. He starred in Grassfield’s schemes that emphasized the running game and ball control combined with a stout defense. During his visit to Blacksburg this past weekend, Drew made his commitment to Virginia Tech.
“Before the visit I was completely undecided,” said Drew. “It was going to come down to how Virginia Tech made me feel this weekend. I was considering academics and football. They definitely won me over. I made my decision on Saturday morning when my mom and I were in Coach Stinespring’s office. I committed then.”
Drew visited the campus on Friday, spent time with both Assistant Coach Bryan Stinespring and Head Coach Frank Beamer. Burns spent Friday and Saturday on campus before coming back on Saturday.
“We talked for a while on Friday. Coach Beamer really reassured me that preferred walk-ons have just as good of a chance (at playing time) as scholarship players. Walk-ons are given an opportunity to prove themselves on the field. After talking to him, I was a lot more comfortable. It was the first time I had ever spoken to him. After that, I took a tour of the facilities,” Burns said of his Friday schedule.
He saw more of the facilities and the campus on Saturday, and he made up his mind quickly.
“Saturday was Junior Day, so I talked to academic advisors, nutritionists, and the weight trainers,” said Drew. “That was the day I knew that I wanted to be a Hokie.”
At the end of the Junior Day, Burns met with a few of the current VT linebackers. It looks as though he’ll be groomed to be a linebacker.
Academically, Drew is still undecided, but he’s leaning toward pursuing a degree in Biology or the Medical field. There were no family connections to Virginia Tech or Old Dominion. Drew does admit to following Virginia Tech since his younger days and his commitment fulfills a dream of his.
Burns comes to Blacksburg with a GPA of 3.6 and an SAT of 1110, which is plenty to qualify academically. He was hearing a lot from JMU over the past few months and was even offered a partial scholarship with the Dukes after an official visit to Harrisonburg.
“I was really looking hard at James Madison, but Coach Stinespring did a really good job of keeping in contact with me,” Drew commented. “My experience this weekend made up my mind.”
Drew spent a little time with former Oscar Smith running back J.C. Coleman over the weekend, and he’s looking forward to making more local connections in Blacksburg. The annual Spring Game is on April 21 and he’s looking forward to meeting all of the other recruits then.
Drew was relieved to be finished with the recruiting process and is thrilled with the final result.
“I’m happy and thankful to my parents, coaches and advisors that helped me through the process. It was definitely stressful, but I’m happy with where I am.”
- Andy Hilton
